Precious
by twilightyuna6
Summary: A very sleepy Naru gets a phone call from a seemingly distraught Mai in the middle of the night. Could it have something to do with their new case that will be taking place?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I found this story that I had started a while back and figured I might as well post it since I put a somewhat decent amount of effort into it. This is actually the first fanfic that I will have posted. Ever. The reason I don't post anything I write is because I can never finish them, but I'd really like to see where this story ends up. If there are even a few people out there who want to read what happens next, then that'll definitely inspire me to finish this one.

I apologize if anyone seems too OOC. I tried to keep them in character, but it can be so hard sometimes. Grrr!

Sorry for any grammar or spelling problems, too.

**Disclaimer: Alas, I own nothing. If I did then we'd have a season 2 of Ghost Hunt. **

It had been a long day of work, as usual, and Naru was in desperate need of sleep. He didn't know why, nor did he really care, but for the past couple of days everyone had been acting a little unusual. Takigawa wasn't his usual lively self. In fact, the last time he had visited SPR, which was two days before, he hardly spoke at all. This was actually a good thing, though. It meant more peace and quiet for Naru, who had made a mental note to charge the monk the next time he came in just for an iced coffee. And two days before that, John had paid a little visit, saying that he would be leaving the country for a short while. This wouldn't be unusual at all, except for the fact that he had been giving weird laughs after every sentence. Yasuhara had also left the area for a while, but that was understandable. His grandfather had passed away and he needed to attend the funeral. Hara-san had simply stopped visiting SPR for reasons unknown. The only thing strange about that was that she didn't come to bid Naru farewell.

There was also Ayako, who randomly showed up that day after being missing for about a week and a half. Figuring that she would fill Mai with all her latest gossip as she usually did, Naru decided to lock himself in his office, as he always did. He could yell at Mai later. But when he left his office to get a file from the cabinet just outside his door, he found the priestess asleep on one of his sofas. Mai was sitting on the floor, her back pressed against the area of the sofa where Ayako's knees met, quietly organizing papers. Naru, who was already in a bad mood having gotten only a few hours sleep the night before, decided to wake the woman up. He should have known better, but the lack of sleep messed with his better judgment. Of course it could have been a lot worse. Ayako could have decided to stay, but instead she bolted out the door crying after yelling at Naru about how he had just ruined the precious time she was spending with Mai after not seeing her in a long time.

And then there was Mai, who was probably showing the most significant changes. For the last two weeks she had shown up not just on time for work, but early. Also, Naru couldn't recall anytime since then that he had found her asleep at her desk. These were good signs, but something about then seemed out of place. Mai had become a lot more jumpy and had many moments where she would just begin to zone out, not appearing to be thinking of anything at all. Today she had broken her fourth tea cup, the first one breaking only seven days ago. What bothered Naru was that these little accidents didn't seem to be caused by her klutziness, but by some unseen force that had her constantly on edge. When Naru decided to ask her what was wrong, she simply stated that she had a lot on her mind. He left it at that. If she didn't want to tell him then that was fine.

Naru walked into his apartment and quietly shut the door behind him, careful not to disturb any of the neighbors. Not bothering to turn any lights on, he headed strait for the bathroom to take a quick shower. He noted the time on his watch. 12:04 a.m. Tomorrow, or tonight to be more accurate, he would be sure to come home extra early. It could be allowed.

It was only moments after Naru's head hit the pillow that he fell asleep. Unfortunately, the sound of his phone woke him up only seconds later. Or so it seemed. It took him a second before he could clearly make out the time. The clock on his right read 3:46 a.m. It was probably an emergency, Naru concluded. _Well it had damn well better be_. He blindly reached for his phone that continued ringing beside the clock and hit the talk button, too tired to give a simple _hello_ or _what the hell do you want_. The first thing he heard was what sounded like a sniffle. A female sniffle.

He thought for a moment. "...Mai?"

"I'm s-sorry," she answered. She seemed to be crying. "I tried calling Ayako, and then Bou-san, but their p-phones were off."

Naru sat up, feeling more awake than he had all day. Mai said no more, to his annoyance, but he knew that ordering an answer from her wouldn't help any. He had to be patient.

"Mai," he said in a soft voice, "what's wrong?"

"...It's happening," she sobbed.

Worry washed over Naru. That and bit of anger. Whoever or whatever it was that was troubling Mai would be sure to meet his wrath. A troubled Mai meant no tea, and no tea for a certain narcissist who had only gotten a total amount of eight hours sleep in the last three days meant hell for all of SPR, or what was left of it, anyway.

"Mai, calm down." Naru said, partly to himself. "What's happening?"

"The dreams..." she replied. "At first I thought I should just ignore them, but now... I'm scared. I don't know what's going on."

"What kind of dreams?"

"I started seeing things... and I'm just scared. I don't want to be alone," she finished quietly.

Naru began thinking. He knew that she must've been desperate if she was really asking him to go to her. After all, he was third on her list. Right after Ayako and Bou-san, both whom he knew would be better suited for this kind of situation.

"The funny thing is," she continued, "I don't think I'm alone..."

"Lin and I will be there soon. You are at home, right?" he asked, feeling a bit drowsy once again.

"Yes. Thank you."

"Mm."

Naru hung up and began dialing Lin's number. _Damn the Japanese driving laws_, he thought as he got dressed. Of course if he had wanted to, he could have changed any paperwork before coming to Japan. It's not like he would get caught, and he could easily pass for eighteen. Possibly a bit older even. But seeing as he had Lin to drive him around, and also the fact that he could just as easily get around using the train or by simply walking, there was no need to obtain a driver's license here.

Mai lived quite a distance away from Naru though, and only a car could get him there soon enough, which for him, was not soon enough at all.

"What's wrong?" Lin answered on the fifth ring.

"Get over here now, we need to go to Mai's." Naru said sleepily, hanging up right afterwards.

Luckily Lin only lived two blocks down, so it took him no more than five minutes after putting his phone down before he arrived in front of the building Naru could be seen walking out of.

"Well?" Lin questioned as the young man, clearly exhausted, climbed into his car.

Naru leaned his head back against the seat, taking a moment before answering. "I'm not entirely sure. Just drive."

Lin asked no more questions, for which Naru was grateful for. But then again, he knew that Lin wasn't one to pry. The situation would eventually unfold itself. That they were both sure of, so there was no need for further questioning.

There was, however, one question that began to be bug Naru only minutes after Lin began driving. He should have taken these few minutes to catch up on whatever sleep he could, but Naru was curious. True enough, Lin usually did just about everything effortlessly. But the fact that he hadn't so much as paused even the slightest at any single turn was a bit discomforting. Then again, he was Naru's assistant. It was only natural that he knew Mai's address. It was to be expected that Lin had directions to Mai's home, just in case of an emergency. Directions that he didn't need to look at. Probably, Naru concluded, because he had already driven there before. Either that or Lin had went over those directions before leaving his apartment and remembered them with his photographic memory. Yes, that also seemed like a plausible solution.

But even so... Lin seemed to be deep in thought, and that added with the languidness that shown in eyes did not seem help the matter anymore. Lin had an excellent memory indeed, but there was no way he could drive like that, not even bothering to look at any street signs, unless...

"You've been there before," Naru said, breaking Lin's thoughts.

"...Yes," his assistant replied.

Naru had gotten his answer. It didn't ease his curiosity though. Now only one more question remained. One which Naru would never in a million years have asked - had Naru been well-rested and completely aware of what he was doing. But the sleepiness was really getting to him, and at the moment he decided it would be okay to ask. Just for the moment.

"Why?" he asked softly.

"I've offered her a ride home a few times when she was sick."

A simple answer. Naru should have figured it out for himself. He would have scolded himself, but once again, he decided to let it go.

"We're here," Lin said, exiting the car. It was only seconds later that he called out his bosses name with an urgent tone.

"What is it?" Naru answered. The worry that seemed to have faded away in the car came rushing back in an instant.

"I don't know. But my shiki... There's something here." Lin turned to face Naru. "A completely different presence than anything I've ever encountered before. I wouldn't go as far to say it's dangerous, but... It doesn't feel right. I can't explain it. It would seem that this place is surrounded by them, though."

That was all Naru needed to hear. "Where's Mai?" he asked.

Even though he knew it shouldn't matter, Naru was somewhat relieved when Lin pulled out a paper from the front pocket of his coat and read, "B12." Lin had never actually been inside.

Mai's building was very unlike the apartments Naru and Lin lived in. It contained only two floors, Mai living on the second. It was small but very homely, and unlike the taller westernized buildings Naru was so used to seeing, this place seemed to have a more traditional feel to it.

Mai opened the door before either of the two men could knock. She was still in her pajamas and it wasn't hard to tell that she had been crying.

"I'm so sorry," she said earnestly. "I didn't mean to wake you up at this time. I would've called Yasuhara or John, but seeing as they're both away..."

_Yasuhara or John?_ Naru thought to himself. Of course. So that didn't make him number three on her list of calls for help, that made him number five. _John is understandable, but what the hell would Yasuhara do to protect her should the need arise?_

"Bou-san and Ayako still aren't picking up their phones," she continued, letting her boss and his assistant inside.

"Taniyama-san," Lin asked, "Are you aware of the... entities surrounding this place?"

"Um... What exactly do you mean by entities?" Mai didn't seem the slightest bit surprised. She shut the door.

"There is an unknown presence surrounding this building. Many of them, actually, according to my shiki." Lin answered.

"...I have an idea. But I can't be absolutely positive," Mai said with her head down, twiddling her fingers.

Naru sighed. As fate would have it, there would be no time for rest anytime soon. Not until they solved this new case that had been brought to their attention. A case that Mai had yet to explain. There was only one thing that could force Naru's brain into working mode, as his will didn't seem to be enough at the moment.

"Mai," Naru said in what seemed to be an almost pleading voice. Almost, but not quite. "Tea."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I just wanted to get this part over with. It should explain everything that's been happening to Mai, for the most part. Sorry if it's a little confusing though... hehe... Also, in case you haven't notice, I'm horrible when it comes to the details of places and stuff, so I just don't do it. Also, I apologize again for any grammar or spelling mistakes that might take place.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to read and/or review the first chapter. It made me really happy!

**Disclaimer: If I did own Ghost Hunt, then there really would be an episode where Naru gets a phone call from Mai in the middle of the night. Probably not for the same reasons, though. *wink***

After slowly setting two hot cups of tea down on the coffee table, Mai took a seat.

"Well?" Naru asked, taking a sip.

"Um..." Mai wasn't sure where begin. She felt horrible for having to call Naru like this, but she didn't really have any other choice. And yet, as guilty as she was feeling, she was also somewhat grateful that he had been her only option. Naru couldn't create any wards to protect her or fight off evil spirited like Ayako and Bou-san could, but she still felt like as long as he was there, nothing could harm her.

"About two weeks ago I started having these weird moments of deja vu," Mai began. "Like I would have dreams of simple little things... You know, looking at certain objects, cooking dinner, reading, going for walks-"

"Trivial things," Naru cut in.

"Making tea," Mai continued. "Anyway, the very next day they would happen, but I wouldn't remember the dream until the action itself was taking place."

"That feeling of deja vu is normal for many people. It comes naturally for those who have precognitive dreams." Lin stated.

"It's happened plenty of times before, but... Well, two weeks ago I got this image of looking out my window during the day." Mai turned to point towards the large window in her living room. "I was standing right next to the couch, just relaxing. Only when I looked carefully... I could see someone other than myself in the reflection of the window, standing behind the couch. The next day I found myself in the same position, staring outside the window. When I realized it was just how I had dreamed, I looked to see if someone was there, but there was no one. I got the distinct feeling that I wasn't alone, though. I felt like I was being watched."

"What did they look like?" Naru asked.

"Creepy," Mai replied. "Their eyes were... well, they didn't have any. None of them do. And they all wear these long robes, most of them brown. But there have been a few dressed in black."

"There are more of them?" Naru stood and walked towards the window, pulling aside the curtains that fell over it. _Probably the presence that Lin's shiki felt_, he thought to himself.

"Almost every time I dream now... it's of something that happens the next day when I'm home. Every time, they're here. Standing around, just watching me." Mai began crying. "I can't see them when I'm awake, but I know they're there!"

Naru tried to see what lied beyond the window, but it was difficult. The sky was jet black, no sign of clouds or stars. He had to fight the urge to keep his eyes from closing for too long. Even if Mai's tea had given his brain a jump-start, it did nothing to make him feel any less tired. "This has been happening for two weeks now? Why didn't you come to us earlier?" he questioned.

Mai looked up, no longer crying, "I was kind of hoping it would stop. There was no proof that they were really here."

"Considering everything you've been through, I would have thought that-" Naru stopped himself before he could yell at Mai, reminding himself that if she could have her way, Ayako would probably be here with her - certainly not making any remarks about how stupid she was for not telling them sooner. "Anyway, that isn't all, right? Something else must've happened tonight that lead you to call."

"A week after I started seeing _them_, the nightmares began." Once again, tears began to fall down Mai's face. "I'm being lead by whatever _they_ are down a long set of stairs. It's difficult to breathe... I'm pretty sure it's somewhere deep underground. Eventually there's an open area for us to walk through at the very end. It leads to a large circular room made entirely out of stone. Small fires are lit all along the walls, and in the very center of the floor is some kind of symbol drawn out in red. All of a sudden, everything goes black. The next thing I know, I'm lying in the middle of the symbol. The ground is so hard and cold... the smell of blood is everywhere. I can't move - my wrists and ankles are being held down by something. And then... I hear him coming." Mai began sobbing.

Naru and Lin remained quiet, waiting for the girl to finish. How desperately Naru wished that Ayako or Bou-san were there to comfort the girl. He might have showed some kind of affection himself, but there was no way he would with Lin in the same room. Lin probably felt the same way, because at that moment he picked up his phone and began dialing the monk's number.

Doing the best he could manage at the time, Naru walked up from behind where Mai was sitting and placed his hand on her shoulder. Trying to be as careful as possible, he asked, "Mai... who is _he_?"

"I'm not sure. All I can keep thinking in my head though is, 'he's coming'," she answered. "I can tell when he gets closer because of the sound... It keeps getting louder. Like some sort of steel pipe scraping against the ground." Mai folded her arms against her her knees and placed her head on them.

"Still no answer from either Matsuzaki-san or Takigawa-san." Lin reported.

_Damn it. Where the hell are they?_ Naru suddenly remembered what had been said when Mai had called him earlier. "When you called me you said 'it's happening'. What did you mean?"

"............."

"You know we can't help you unless you tell us everything," Naru said, a little more sharply than he had meant to. He knew he should have been more understanding, but the lack of sleep was still getting to him, and he was at a loss of what to do.

This case was entirely different from anything that had ever been presented to him. If Lin's shiki were right, then they weren't dealing with ghosts or any other kind of ordinary spirit. If someone else had told him what Mai had just said, he probably would have thought them crazy. But Mai was different. He couldn't remember a time where her dreams had ever failed them.

"I know." Mai stood up from her position and began a slow pace towards the kitchen. "I can't explain it, but I feel like these... things - spirits, whatever you want to call them... I feel like they're really going to take me to that place. Right now they're just... observing."

_Observing? _Suddenly everything Naru had been told sounded somewhat familiar. It sounded a bit weird coming from Mai, though. He figured it was just her intuition coming into play, as usual. He looked at Lin, who seemed to be frowning at the empty cup of tea in front of him.

"A couple days ago," Mai said, leaning her back against the wall that divided the living room and the kitchen, "I noticed a mark on my back. I figured it was just some kind of mole I had never noticed or something. Not long after than, I noticed that it had changed somehow."

"It changed..." Lin repeated. Naru could tell he was on to something.

"It had formed into some kind of squiggle. When I woke up a little while ago, I just had to look at it again. That's when I called you." Mai stared at Naru.

"May we see it?" Lin asked, standing up.

Mai, naturally, hesitated for a moment. But she knew that it was the only way to find out exactly what was happening. She turned to face the wall, and began undoing the top buttons of her pajama shirt. When she had reached midway, she pulled her left sleeve down so only the upper part of her back on that side was exposed.

Naru examined it from where he was standing. The mark she had mentioned seemed to have changed into a swirly tattoo of some sort. "Lin, do you know what it is?"

"Yes," his assistant answered. "My question is what kind of monster would cast this on an innocent human being."

Mai quickly re-buttoned her pajama shirt and turned to face Lin. "Cast? So then this is a curse?"

"Not exactly." Lin reached for his phone. "A curse is usually just to punish someone or something - it's something that can easily be stopped, if you know what you're doing. This is different, nearly impossible to stop, and can only be caused by an extreme amount of hatred or evil."

"What the hell is it?" Naru's patience was running thin.

"Black magic," Lin answered while dialing a phone number. "I'm calling Madoka. She'll have to bring me some spell books. We won't be able to do anything unless we know the exact spell that's been cast. Also, I suggest we keep this to ourselves for now. It's possible that anyone who gets involved could be at risk."

While Lin talked to Madoka, Mai took a few moments to go over what had just been said. Nothing seemed to make sense to her. Deciding she didn't want to think at the moment, she took a seat on the floor and stared at nothing in particular. She didn't have any trouble keeping her mind blank, it seemed to just go along.

Naru's mind, on the other hand, was racing. He was a master with the paranormal, but this was entirely different. He had absolutely no training whatsoever when it came to the art of magic. And then there was the issue with Mai. She always got caught up in every curse thrown in their faces. Ghosts seemed to love taking out their revenge on her. There was no explanation for it, and everyone had given up on looking for one, settling with 'bad luck'. But what could the girl have possibly done to deserve this? Massacre an entire city in her last life possibly?

It was too much. Naru took a seat on the couch and leaned his head back. He might as well get the long awaited rest he'd been hoping for. There was really nothing else for him to do, what with Lin organizing things on the phone with Madoka and Mai looking as if she'd remain catotonic for the time being. Naru closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I probably should've mentioned this earlier, but it totally slipped my mind. This story contains spoilers (is there even anyone left on here who doesn't know about it already?). Anyway, it's set after Naru returns to Japan, so... yeah. Also, this IS a Mai/Naru fanfic. Just so you know. And um... there may be more, but I don't wanna spoil it, so I'll stop.

~Thanks to all you readers out there! I honestly didn't expect to get that many reviews XD

Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors. I try my best, but there are always a few things I miss.

**Disclaimer: If I did own Ghost Hunt, then I wouldn't have to try to think of something funny to say in the disclaimer... and then fail at it...**

The first the that registered in Naru's mind when he woke was the smell of... _pancakes?_ He found himself still sitting on Mai's sofa with a fuzzy blanket now draped around him. Lin was sitting on the floor looking through a mass of old worn out books that lie scattered across Mai's coffee table.

"...Well that was quick," Naru said. "I didn't know Madoka was in the area. What time is it?"

"Ten o'clock. She and Mai made breakfast if you want any," Lin replied.

"Madoka's still here? I thought you said we should keep everyone else out of this case for now."

"She refused to leave without any explanation. Besides," Lin continued, "she does have some experience when it comes to the dark arts. More importantly, she can be of excellent use to Taniyama-san right now." He paused. "Unless you would prefer to comfort her?"

"...Point taken." Naru said no more and Lin continued flipping through books. In the mean time, the young narcissist took the next few minutes to look around from where he sat. It felt odd not being at the SPR building. It felt odd not working. No... he was working. Technically. They were on a case. Naru just never expected it would be taking place in his assistant, rather, his friend's apartment. At least in a stranger's home, there was no excuse for slacking off. Right now he wanted nothing more than to just continue sitting there. Perhaps there was something wrong with the tea had drunken when he first got there?

Still surveying his assistant's home, Naru found many pictures placed all over the living room. Some of them contained friends from school, a few of them what Naru expected to be Mai's parents, but most of them were of SPR. He found only one candid shot of himself and Lin, while the rest of the pictures were of everyone else who occasionally worked for SPR. A group that seemed to gradually be growing apart. _Mai's only family_. Naru continued studying the apartment. Though it wasn't that large, it did feel very open, even with all the furniture in it. _Probably gifts from teachers and friends_, he thought to himself. Everything seemed to be decorated very simply and was, surprisingly, neat.

"Naru, did you eat yet?" Mai came walking out of the hallway that led to her bedroom, no longer in her pajamas.

"...No," Naru answered, throwing the blanket to the side and standing up. "I'm not hungry."

This seemed to make Mai angry. She was well aware of the fact that her boss hadn't gotten that much sleep in the last few days. She at least hoped that he had been eating enough. "Well we made plenty, so please help yourself!"

"Maybe later." Though Naru was glad to see Mai acting more like herself again, he knew it was just a facade. How could he eat at a time like this?

Madoka came storming out the hallway with a phone clenched in her right hand. "Really, Naru, I wish you would quit being so rude. Anyway, you need to stay healthy and fit if you wanna help Mai, so eat."

As usual, Naru couldn't argue with Madoka, so he gave in and headed for the kitchen. Mai followed, figuring she'd make more tea.

"Did you get a hold of them?" Lin pulled his eyes away from the book he was currently examining and stared at Madoka, who looked like she wanted to smash something. It was a very strange sight for Mai - she had never seen the woman so vexed. Well, maybe she had just a little when it came time to criticize Naru for his attitude towards people, but this was something else. As strange as it was, Mai had to admit, even in her current situation, it was a bit funny for some reason.

"Yes!" Madoka sat where Naru had previously been sitting and exhaled loudly. "We're on our own. Well, I can just cross them off the list for next year's Christmas party! I mean really, the nerve!"

"Who did you call?" Naru asked, setting his plate of food on the small dining table. He was grateful that Mai's place was small enough so that he could still see what was going on in the living room.

"Remember the Palmer's? They're old family friends of your parents," Madoka answered. "Anyway, they kind of specialize in what we're dealing with. Spells and stuff, you know. They helped your father out on more than one of his investigations and they've always been there for me, so Lin and I figured that we might as well give them a call."

"What exactly did they say?" Mai asked nervously, setting a cup of tea by Naru's plate.

"Nothing you need worry about, dear." Madoka said sweetly. Setting the phone to the side, she turned to Lin and asked, "Did you find it?"

"Yes," he replied. "But I'm still unsure of how to take care of it. It seems that no matter what, it would require some kind of sacrifice."

Mai took a seat on the floor, opposite of Lin. "You mean someone has to die?"

"Only from what I've read so far, but it's possible there are other ways." Lin picked up one of the more ragged looking books and began flipping through it. "It would seem your intuition had been right, Taniyama-san. These eye-less creatures you've seen in your dreams... the ones that are surrounding this building as we speak are in fact guardians of another realm. Because they're in no way connected to this world, they're unable to harm you or anyone else." When Lin found the page he was looking for, he held it up for the others to see.

"That's it," Mai said, tears forming at her eyes. "That's the symbol in my dream..."

Taking a seat beside Mai, Naru carefully examined the shapes and lettering drawn onto the paper before him. Even to him, it looked like the typical kind of symbol you might find in a horror game or movie. A circle with some ancient language he couldn't make out written around it and a bunch of other strange shapes inside.

"So why are they here?" Naru asked.

"They're getting ready," Lin answered. "The design on Taniyama-san's back will continue to grow until it forms this..." He turned the paged and showed them a different image. Unlike the former which had seemed vastly demonic, this one was the opposite. Several intricate lines flowed and linked together, creating a rather beautiful pattern. If you looked carefully, it almost seemed as if they formed several different pairs of wings even.

"When the design is finished," Lin continued, "The first half of the spell will be complete. Taniyama-san will be forced to enter the other realm. Once there, the guardians of that place will probably, I'm assuming, take you to the place in your dream."

"...And then?" Mai could barely keep her voice from cracking.

Lin hesitated for a moment. "Black magic is an extremely cruel and inhumane form of art. This spell in particular is by far one of the worst ones known to mankind. It's anyone's guess as to what will happen. But we'll find a cure before then. I'm sure of it..." he managed.

"Of course we will," Madoka pitched in, joining the others on the floor and wrapping her arm around Mai.

"What are our options so far?" Naru asked.

"As of right now... the caster must be killed before the first part of the spell is complete. Unless we have some kind of idea of who that might be... and even then, as horrible as this is, it would still be murder. The other alternative doesn't apply to Taniyama-san," Lin answered, setting the book down."

"Which is...?" Naru reached across the table to pick up the book and observe the second picture again.

"The sacrifice of an unborn child. Mai would have to be pregnant and the first part of the spell would have to be complete so she could enter the other realm for the ritual to take place."

Madoka began grumbling. "These evil books won't help us fight this! There has to be a better way. What about using white magic or something? And whatever happened to love conquering all?"

Lin thought for a while. "Actually, you may be right about using white magic to counterattack. But finding someone nowadays with that type of power would be near impossible. For now I think we should keep searching for other possibilities."

"Mai... do you have any idea who might've done this to you?" Naru asked, setting the book aside.

After taking a minute to think of every person she could remember ever meeting, she replied, "No."

Lin stood up, suddenly alert, and faced the direction of the hallway.

"What's wrong?" Naru questioned him.

"Madoka, stay with Mai." The Chinese man headed for Mai's bedroom, Naru following suit.

As Lin opened the door, both men could hear Mai complaining, "Hey, what's wrong? You can't just go waltzing in there..."

After squeezing through both of her co-workers to see what they were staring at, she gasped. "What does it mean?"

Covering the entire wall behind Mai's bed was the symbol they had all previewed just moments ago, painted in a deep red.

"Madoka... it's time." Lin turned to look at his friend, now standing right behind Mai.

"Naru, you have a free room, you should put it to use," Madoka smiled at her former student.

Naru simply sighed. "I guess there's no other choice." He began walking away, pausing right before he completely exited the small hallway. "Mai. Pack your things."

"Eh? You're kidding, right?" Mai continued to stare in shock at her poor wall that had just been magically vandalized. "I mean, is there really a need?"

"I think it would be in your best interest, Taniyama-san. Those who guard this other realm we have spoken of now seem to be gathering here in this room." Lin left Mai to gather whatever belongings she would need.

Madoka, of course, decided to stay and help the young girl. "Don't you worry, Mai," she tried to sound as cheerful as she could. "Naru will take good care of you while Lin and I leave to search for a way to stop this. We promise to come back as soon as we have what we need, alright?"

"What? You don't mean you're going away! Leaving me with the worst person you could possibly leave me with... Naru will never agree!" Mai whined.

"He doesn't have much of a choice, really. Anyway, until we get a hold of Ayako, he'll just have to do." Madoka zipped up Mai's last bag and handed it to her. "Got everything?"

"...Yes," Mai grumbled. Compared to her rather slow morning, things were suddenly moving way too fast. Whatever Lin and Madoka had planned on the phone, they weren't wasting any time on getting it done. Though maybe it was necessary. No one knew how much time Mai had left. It didn't make her any less angry about the situation, though. Apparently Naru was not too happy about it, either. Mai could hear him and Lin talking as she walked out of her room.

"Since when do you make all the decisions around here?" her boss asked sternly.

"This is the most efficient way to go about things. Madoka and I are more trained in this field than you are and someone needs to stay with Mai at all times. You're to report to us whenever the pattern on her back grows. Also, I'll be leaving my shiki with you both just in case." Lin turned to face Madoka. "Is everything ready?"

"Yep. Our flight leaves in an hour and a half. We'd better drop them off now." Madoka gathered her things. "We need to make a quick stop at the hotel afterwards - I left something important there."

"Did you ever think to share your plans with me?" Naru asked.

"We just did share them," his assistant answered. "And anyway, you were asleep before. Let's go now."

Like Madoka had previously said, Naru had no choice but to comply. It would be pointless for someone like him to try and find a solution for Mai. He wouldn't have a clue as to what he was doing. For once in Naru's life, he truly felt useless. Even so, he would work with what he had. If that meant baby sitting his own assistant, then so be it.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Trying to keep Naru in character is a pain. Even Mai is becoming troubling for me, so sorry if this chapter seems a little weird.

Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors. Though I should be let off the hook with this chapter - I stayed up way after midnight writing this.

~Special thanks to all of you who've been reviewing!~

**Disclaimer: If I owned Ghost Hunt, then a "certain person who shows up in someone's dreams" wouldn't have died in the horrible and somewhat embarrassing way that he did. But hey, what can you do...**

"So... why exactly does your place have two bedrooms if you live alone?" Mai asked as Naru led her down a long corridor towards his apartment.

Along the way, she tried to prepare herself for what was coming. For all she knew, Naru's apartment could have turned out to be some kind of penthouse. It _was_ on the top floor. On the other hand, it could also end up being just as small as it was convenient for him. That would be something - from what Mai had seen so far, Naru took up very little space, rarely ever leaving his office. So whether he lived in a big expensive apartment or a box, she shouldn't be surprised.

"A substitute," Naru answered, a minute too late. "Just in case Lin didn't get the apartment he wanted."

"Oh..."

Naru suddenly came to a halt and pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. After opening the front door, he held it open so Mai could enter. The first thing that caught her attention, besides how bright the room was, happened to be...

"A TV!? And you have a stereo, too?" Mai was astonished.

"Something was needed up to take up the space." he stated indifferently, locking the door. "Quit dawdling and follow me."

Deciding she'd admire the set-up later, Mai followed her boss into a hallway that contained two doors on each side. Naru opened the last door on the left. "This is where you'll sleep," he stated.

Mai cautiously made her way past Naru and into her new room. It was just as bright as the living room had been. A queen-size bed had been placed against the eastern wall, and a rather enormous window was set in the northern wall, with deep blue curtains, lace from the looks of it, hanging over. There were also a couple of shelves lined up against the other walls that were completely filled with books - probably ones Naru had read through and now had no use for.

"Don't break anything." Naru left, going into the room directly across the hallway and slamming the door. This definitely made Mai angry.

"Gosh!" she threw all her things down and folded her arms. "I'm not thrilled about the situation either, but you could at least try and make me feel a little more relaxed, you know? I mean really, I'm dying here!"

Suddenly Mai heard Naru's bedroom door snap open. She turned to face him and readied herself for more yelling, but the look in his eyes made her stop. Naru stood leaning against the door frame. Though the rest of his face remained expressionless, as usual, his eyes were completely livid. Mai couldn't look at them any longer, so she decided to take notice in the top two buttons of his shirt that were left undone. _Of course. He probably doesn't want to stay in clothes he slept in..._

"...You seem fairly relaxed right now," Naru said softly.

"Huh?" After forcing herself to look at his face again, Mai was grateful to see that his eyes had returned to normal.

"Too relaxed. I'm still waiting for you to break out into hysterics," he continued.

"Well..." Mai tried to find her voice. "As long as I'm not being chased by any monsters or anything at the moment, it's easy to remain calm. Hysteria will come later, probably."

They stared at each other, saying nothing - both wanting desperately to know what the other was really thinking. Both of them were well aware of this fact, too - so they let their pride keep anything from showing on their faces. Though Mai had a more difficult time trying to pull it off, her expression revealed nothing.

The phone rang then, breaking through the silence and startling Mai. Naru quickly shut his bedroom door before heading towards the living room to answer the phone. Mai took the next minute to collect her things that were now scattered all over the floor. She place them in a more appropriate area where she wouldn't have to worry about tripping over them. She then made her way into back to the living room.

Upon arriving, Mai could now clearly hear Naru, somewhat menacingly, threatening whoever was on the other line. Sensing her presence, Naru decided to take his little conversation into the kitchen. Rather than eavesdrop, Mai began studying the decor of her boss's apartment. Just like the previous room, a big window was placed on the northern wall, lighting up the entire living room. The walls were pure white and contrasted almost perfectly with the furniture, which was mostly dark brown. The only pictures Mai could find were paintings - specifically one that hung over the sofa of a lake. _Beautiful..._ Naru's apartment definitely wasn't a box, but it wasn't super luxurious, either. It was just the average home of a single man living by himself. A very _neat_ man.

_Everything is so clean_, Mai thought to herself. She couldn't even detect a single spot of dust, which raised a new question. Of course she already knew the answer. Still though, it was difficult for her to imagine him dusting and cleaning the way a normal human would.

Naru returned to the living room and set the phone back down in it's proper place.

"Who was it?" Mai asked, running a hand through her hair.

"...Bou-san." Naru headed for his room again to change.

"What!? He's not coming over, is he? I mean - it's still dangerous, right?" she called after him.

Naru paused for a moment. "No, I told him to take care of Matsuzaki-san. They shouldn't be coming here anytime soon."

"Oh... okay then. Wait - did something happen to Ayako? Is that why they weren't picking up their phones?"

"She's just been released from the hospital."

"Oh no! What happened?" Mai ran after him.

"I'm not sure," Naru replied, opening his bedroom door.

"Well didn't you ask?"

"If he wanted me to know, he would have told me." Naru shut the door, leaving his assistant in the hallway by herself.

Though Mai was tempted to call Bou-san herself, decided against it. She would have to avoid all contact with her friends until Lin and Madoka returned with proof that it was safe for people to be around her. Instead, Mai went into the bathroom to see how her new 'tattoo' was doing. After close inspection, she found that only one single line had grown about two inches or so since the night before.

The next few hours passed very slowly. Naru had locked himself up in his little home office, located right next to the room Mai would be sleeping in. When Mai went to check on him, she found that he was researching the basics of black magic, just as a precaution. _Figures_, she thought to herself. She would just have to find a way to entertain herself. Mai eventually found herself on Naru's sofa, cuddling into one of the pillows and flipping through the different channels of the TV. The only time Naru emerged from his office was to retrieve the takeout food he had ordered. He might've cooked himself, but there was too much research to be done. After getting a plate for himself, he retreated back into his office, telling Mai that she could eat the rest if she wanted.

Mai was pleased when it was late enough to go to bed. She shut the television off and went to change into her pajamas, checking her back one more time to be safe. Nothing had changed. As she walked out of the bathroom, she bumped into Naru.

"Going to bed?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Might as well. No point in staying up. Goodnight." Mai walked past him and into her room. She figured getting mad at him now would be rather pointless. After all, it was Naru. What did she expect? When Mai lied down, she realized just how tired she really was. It was only a matter of moments before she slipped into a deep sleep.

When Mai opened her eyes, she found herself in a pitch black room. The ground beneath her felt very hard. _It's so cold._ She winced as the room suddenly became illuminated. After her eyes adjusted, shock instantly set in place at the sight before her. Her friends were there, their limp bodies being held up against the circular wall by chains. Naru, Ayako, Bou-san, Lin-san, Madoka, John, Yasuhara, and Masako. They didn't appear to be physically hurt, but Mai knew they were all dead. Bringing her hands to her face, she dropped to her knees and began sobbing, feeling as though she might throw up. After a minute, a familiar sound broke through her cries. When Mai looked up, she realized she was now in the other place. The room she had seen so many times before. She sat in the center of the of the room, the bodies of her friends now lying on the ground all around her. This time, they were covered in blood. The noise continued to grow louder. Knowing there was no place to run, Mai could only stay in her current position. She covered her ears with her hands, but that did nothing to soften the horrible screeching. _What is it!? _The sound of metal cutting hard across the ground grew even louder. _He's getting closer... _The noise did stop, but Mai knew it wasn't over yet. She opened her eyes and peered at the man standing before her.

Naru wasn't fully asleep yet when Mai's scream pierced through the silent apartment, so it only took a second for him to jump out of bed and see what was wrong. But before his hand could reach the door knob, Mai came bursting out of the room. She stormed into the bathroom, not bothering to turn the light on or shut the door. Naru could hear her coughing. He went to get her a glass of water, hoping that none of the neighbors had been disturbed. When he returned, he flicked the bathroom light on and found Mai slumped on the floor against the bathtub, her eyes wide in fear.

"...B-blood, " she said. A second later, she quickly flushed the toilet.

Naru handed her the glass of water and she gratefully accepted in.

"I read that rather than... the conventional substances, vomiting blood is a common side effect for those who've been cursed by black magic."

"..........Naru....." Mai cringed as she remembered the cause. "...All of you... you were dead." Mai stared into the distance with a blank look on her face as tears continuously fell from her eyes.

Naru took the next moments to think. Would she object to being led back into her room? Though it seemed doubtful that she would begin dreaming again, there was no way of being certain. In any case, staying in the bathroom didn't seem to be doing her any good. It certainly didn't look comfortable. Naru took the glass from Mai's hand and set in on the counter.

"...Are you going back to bed?" Mai slowly came out of her daze and looked at him.

He stared back at her, feeling slightly appalled that she would come to that conclusion. Well, he _had_ left her to fend for herself the entire day. Some baby sitter he turned out to be.

"...No," he said quietly, grabbing her hand. He pulled her to her feet and led her out of the bathroom, into the living room. "Sit," he motioned to the sofa. Mai did exactly as she was told while Naru wandered off. When her boss returned, he had two blankets with him. He tossed one at her before going to pick up the remote to the TV. Mai tried to make herself more comfortable, looking curiously at Naru as he joined her on the sofa. He hit the power button.

"...I thought you didn't watch TV," Mai stated.

"...I don't," he replied. "Here, put something on."

Mai was completely dumbfounded. _Is this his way of trying to comfort me? Well, I guess it's a good distraction._ She took the remote he handed to her and began flicking through the channels. Mai knew that under very different circumstances, she might've blushed. They sat at least two feet apart, but the position they were both in - it implied a kind of closeness that good friends shared. It just felt like such a normal, human thing - and Naru was anything but normal.

"...There doesn't seem to be anything on at this time," Mai muttered to herself. Finally, she found something that looked somewhat interesting - a group of ghost hunters and psychics exploring a house that was supposedly haunted. After a few minutes, Mai found that there were several things wrong with the show. While she complained about all the false information given and began correcting it, Naru was reminded of why he despised TV. The things that went on were almost laughable. And though he was somewhat disgusted, Naru also felt a bit of pride at the moment - and not just because he had successfully distracted Mai from her horrendous dream. As he listened closely to Mai's comments, he realized that she really had learned a lot since the time they had first met. Though she did slack off much of the time, she played an extremely important role at SPR. There was no way they could afford to lose her because of some foolish spell.

No more than half an hour later, Naru noticed that Mai had grown silent. He turned to look at her. _She's asleep._


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I was in the middle of writing this two weeks ago or so when all of a sudden something came up, and then the next thing I knew all these things kept on getting in the way, one after another... It wouldn't end. Finally today I got to finish it. Sorry for the late update.

I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistakes - but as it is, I am human and humans will often make mistakes.

**Disclaimer: Really, if I said I did own it, would I actually get sued? Just in case: I don't own it - so please don't sue me.**

When Mai opened her eyes, she found herself a little confused. _This isn't my room... Oh right. I'm at Naru's place... _Suddenly Mai was hit with memories of the night before. The horrible dream where everyone had died, and then the other rather bizarre dream of watching TV with her boss. _Wait - that really did happen._ Mai sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. _But I don't remember coming back in here... Doesn't that must mean that...?_ Mai blushed. _I hope I wasn't too heavy, _she thought to herself as she stood up and stretched. _What time is it, anyway?_ Mai began going through her things, taking out a tooth brush and a new change of clothes. Then she headed for the bathroom, but stopped just before she reached the door after hearing a familiar laugh. Maybe she should have locked herself back inside the room - but she was just too happy. Besides, if Naru had allowed him inside, then that must've meant it wasn't a threat to be around her. Mai left her things in the doorway of the bathroom and darted into the living room. As soon as Bou-san saw Mai running towards him, he automatically opened up his arms.

"Mai! Naru told me everything. How are you feeling?" he asked, pulling Mai into a tight bear hug.

"I feel fine," she laughed.

"Right. Honestly though, I can't believe that Lin and Madoka - especially Madoka, forced you to stay with Naru."

"How's Ayako?" Mai asked, pulling herself away from the monk.

"She'll be fine, but I think you had better ask her yourself."

"Eh?" Mai turned to look at Naru, who had just come from the kitchen. He was holding a cup in one hand a phone in the other. "Naru, does this mean it's safe?"

"Yes," her boss confirmed. "No one should be in any danger yet."

Mai paused for a moment. "Yet?"

"If anyone tries to interfere after the first part of the spell is complete, it's possible that they may also be at risk."

"Anyway, Mai, you better hurry up and get ready. Ayako went into a frenzy when she found out about the spell. All the doctors are afraid to go near her." Bou-san ruffled the girl's hair. Mai winced slightly in pain.

"You alright?" the monk asked.

"Mm-hm," Mai smiled in return, bringing her hand to the back of her head. "I must've bumped my head yesterday and not have realized it, I guess."

"Jeez..."

Naru set the phone down and left for his room rather hastily. "I suggest we get to the hospital before there's too much traffic," he called from the hallway.

"Wait, I thought Ayako had been released from the hospital yesterday! Bou-san, did something else happen?" Mai turned to face her friend.

"Nothing... too bad. Just get ready, you'll find out when we get there," he replied.

Being in the car with Bou-san made up for all the hours of boredom Mai had experienced the day before (not including the few minutes she had spent being comforted by a certain narcissist). Naru would have normally commented on the blaring music and demanded that the duo stop singing, but he knew that Mai was in serious need of some 'normal' time. No matter how annoying it was, Naru was grateful that Bou-san could put on a show for the girl, especially in the state he was in. When the monk had first appeared that morning, Naru could clearly see that he was deeply troubled. He refused to give any details about Ayako, only stating, "she's fine, for the most part."

They made a quick stop at a small gift shop before arriving at the hospital so Mai could buy some flowers for Ayako. Naru also pitched in, while Bou-san bought a little stuffed bear and a balloon. By the time they reached the hospital it was after noon.

"Ayako!" Mai ran to the miko's side as Bou-san and Naru followed slowly behind. Mai found it very strange. Obviously she hated seeing any of her friends in the hospital, but seeing Ayako there made her want to cry. At least the woman didn't look ill. In fact, she seemed to be in perfect health at the moment.

"How are you? Is everything okay? What's wrong?" Mai demanded as she set the flowers down on a nearby table.

"I'm fine - but I'm more worried about you. Honestly, just what were those two thinking!? But I guess they didn't really have any other choice. Anyway, just as soon as I get out of here, you can stay with me."

"Ayako, I don't know if that's such a good idea," Bou-san said, placing the teddy bear next to the flowers Mai had bought.

"Why not?" The miko folded her arms. "Would you rather her stay with Naru? She must be bored to tears!"

"How are you going to protect her? By the time you're released, it might not be a good idea for either of you to be near one another."

"Well then you look after her. I can manage just fine without your help-"

"Really, you guys, it's alright!" Mai interjected. "Besides, I don't mind staying with Naru. It's not _that_ bad. I mean... it's kinda fun."

Bou-san cleared his throat. "...Of course. So what exactly have you two been doing to pass time? Nothing too fun, I hope."

"Bou-san!" Mai blushed and quickly turned to face Ayako. "Anyway, you still haven't told me why you're here."

"...Well... I'm in a little situation right now," the miko answered with her eyebrows raised. She seemed to be contemplating something.

"Hm?" Mai suddenly remembered back to the last time she had seen Ayako. The woman had ran out of the SPR building crying after Naru had woken her up. _It is a little strange that Ayako would fall asleep in the office_, Mai thought to herself. _Come to think of it, Bou-san was acting strange, too. I guess I was too distracted with the dreams to have really noticed. _"So Bou-san knew along, right? It would explain why he'd been acting so weird for the last couple of weeks."

"Um... Yes, you're right," Ayako replied, somewhat reluctantly.

Mai waited for another answer, but her friend said nothing else. She decided that maybe Bou-san could give her a clue, but when she turned to look at him, all Mai could see was his back. He stood looking out the window, still holding the balloon in his right hand. Naru sat in a chair next to the window, reading a book he had apparently brought with him.

"So what's the problem?" Mai asked. "It must be really bad if you're still in here, right?"

"...Listen, Mai. When you get older, sometimes you do things. And sometimes those things have consequences," Ayako said, tapping her fingers against the mattress beneath her.

Mai was confused. "Um... okay. So what did you _do_ exactly?"

Naru, who had actually been listening to the entire interaction instead of reading, began to wonder if Mai was just especially slow because of everything that had been going on. He figured it must've been obvious by now.

"Well, that part doesn't really matter. What does matter is... Well, you see..." Ayako opened her mouth to speak again, but no words came out. Instead of closing her mouth, she simply left her face to stay like that.

"Ayako's pregnant," Bou-san said quietly, still looking out the window.

"...Idiot." Ayako glared at the wall opposite her.

Naru, still staring at the pages in his book, counted in his head how long the silence lasted. At approximately six minutes and forty-two seconds in, Mai was the first to speak.

"Congratulations!" she cried happily. "That's wonderful, right?"

Ayako looked at Mai carefully before a small smile graced her lips. "Right."

"So then Bou-san...?" Mai turned to look at the monk.

"Yeah, it's all his fault that I'm in here." Ayako stated. "There have been a few... complications with the pregnancy, but it's nothing that can't be fixed. I'm just not allowed to leave until then."

"I'm so sorry, Ayako... But you're sure everything's gonna be okay?" Mai asked.

"Yep, positive. If I weren't then I wouldn't have let Bou-san bring you here."

"That's great! But why didn't you tell me there was something going on between you two? Though I guess I should have known - I mean, I suspected something was up, but I didn't think it was this big. Anyway, I know you guys will make wonderful parents - I mean, just look at the way you treat me!" Mai laughed.

Realization suddenly dawned on Ayako, and Bou-san, too. The reason they had never told anyone they were in a relationship was because they weren't - at least not officially. Sure, they had gone out on plenty of dates - and yes, they were attracted to each other both physically and personality wise, even if they did annoy each other most of the time - but that didn't mean that they were a 'couple.' So obviously idea of being a parent frightened them. When Ayako had found out, she had gone into some sort of slight depression. Bou-san had also become rather glum. She refused to talk to him. It wasn't until after Ayako ended up in the hospital that they had actually talked about it. But now the idea of being parents didn't seem too absurd. After all, they were already like a family. Of course, a baby would probably be a lot more difficult than looking after Mai - or maybe not considering all the work they put into saving her from her avid ghost fans.

Naru, realizing that Ayako and Bou-san would probably want some time for themselves, decided to intervene. "Mai, come with me," he said as he stood up and walked towards the door.

"Where?" Mai turned to look at him.

"You haven't eaten anything yet," he replied.

The thought of food made Mai's stomach grumble. "Hehehe..."

The rest of the day passed rather quickly. When Naru and Mai had returned to the hospital room after eating, Ayako had them clarify exactly what had been going on with Mai. They left out any details regarding the dream she had the night before. Fortunately, it didn't take that long to convince Bou-san to stay with Ayako and leave Mai in the care of her boss. After all, Lin and Madoka would be back very soon. Hopefully. It was a while before Ayako allowed the monk to drive Naru and Mai back the apartment, though. As much as the miko hated to admit it, she knew that there was a good chance she wouldn't be able to see Mai until after the spell had been dealt with. It wasn't until Ayako found herself falling asleep that she decided it was time to say goodbye.

Naru was glad that the ride back to his place was a lot more quieter than the uproar his two co-workers had created on the way to the hospital. Before Mai got out of the car, she congratulated Bou-san once more, making him blush. As he drove off, Mai quickly thought back to when she had first meant Ayako and Bou-san. How much time passed until she realized that they had become her family? Though it did seem a little odd - two adults who acted like children themselves from time to time raising another human. But there was no doubt in her mind - the baby would be loved unconditionally.

"Mai, you'll catch a cold if you keep standing there like that," Naru called before entering the building. Mai ran to catch up.

When the two teenagers entered the apartment, Mai immediately let out a big yawn and headed to her room to change, mumbling on the way about how exciting it was that her two best friends were having a baby. "Haha, if you think about it, I'll be gaining a sibling, too!"

Her thoughts were cut short the moment she opened the door to her room, though.

"...Not again... Naru!" Mai called for her boss.

He arrived no more than a second later, only to find Mai glaring at the wall behind where the bed stood. The same symbol that had appeared at Mai's apartment was now painted in a deep red coloring, covering almost the entire wall.

"...Dammit." Naru turned around and walked towards his room. "Grab your things, we're leaving."

"Where are we gonna go? Lin and Madoka aren't back yet, and Ayako and Bou-san- "

"I'm well aware of all that," he cut her off, opening his door.

Mai stood just outside Naru's bedroom and watched as he pulled out a black bag. She didn't dare go inside. But even at a time like this, she still took the next few moments to examine his room. It was fairly neat, only the bed hadn't been made and couple black shirts were scattered across the floor. Naru was too preoccupied to realize what his assistant was doing.

"You like blue?" Mai asked, taking notice of the color scheme. "The other room has blue, too. The curtains..."

"They were all gifts from my parents," Naru replied. He knew better than to be surprised by her random question. Recently, whenever Mai was worried, she would always try and find some kind of distraction. Now wasn't the time for that, though. "Mai, get your things..."

"But where are we going?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Just hurry up."

Mai went to retireve her bags. "Naru... What's going on?"

He didn't reply.

"This isn't some ordinary case where you can just keep things from me. I _am_ the case, so I deserve to know the truth," Mai yelled across the hall.

"This morning Lin called. He said that if the symbol should appear again like it did before, we have to get away from it immediately. It's a precautionary measure. They're actually portals." Naru met Mai in the hallway and led her into the living room. "When the design on your back is finished, you'll be taken to the other realm through either your own bedroom or the room here," he continued. "We need to get as far away from them as possible."

"Will that really help?" Mai asked.

"Like I said, it's as a precautionary measure. I don't know what will happen." Naru headed into the kitchen.

"Okay... So are we just going to walk around endlessly or something until Lin comes back?"

"Of course not. Not in this weather, idiot." Naru quickly grabbed a set of keys from atop the fridge, and headed back into the living room.

"Idiot!? You... Wait ....What are those?" Mai stared at the keys her boss held.

Naru, of course, ignored her question.

"Those aren't yours!"

"They're Lin's. He left them behind just in case this happened." Naru opened the front door and held it open for Mai.

"You can't drive, Naru!" she complained. "You're not even eighteen! I mean, yeah, one month away or so, but still!"

"The car is parked at Lin's place, so it'll only be a five minute walk."

"This is illegal! You can't make me get into that car with you!" Mai folded her arms.

"...I can't?" Naru smirked.

**A/N: ***clap clap* - congrats to Ayako and Bou-san. Of course my main reason for making her pregnant was so I could force Naru and Mai to rely mostly on each other. It's also why I killed Yasuhara's Grandpa and sent him, John, and Masako away. I'm sure they'll all be united soon enough though. Anyway, the following is a little bonus scene (as you can see) that takes place where chapter four left off. Basically, I let imagination run away. I hate it when the actual anime/manga leave the little tiny details out, so I began wondering: 'how exactly would Naru go about putting Mai in bed?' This was all I could come up with. It should also explain why Mai was a little hurt by Bou-san's little head-pat thingy.

**Bonus Scene From End of Chapter 4**

_She's asleep. _Naru knew from experience that spending a night on the couch would cause back problems the following day. Then again, if Mai could fall asleep at her own desk during work, then sleeping here should be no problem. But for whatever reason, Naru didn't feel like abandoning his assistant in the living room. Sighing to himself, Naru pulled the blanket from Mai and set it to the side. He slowly slid his right arm beneath her knees and placed his other arm behind her upper back, lifting her up. _For such a tiny person, she certainly weighs more than I would have originally thought. _It wasnothing compared to the equipment he usually dealt with though, sohe was able to carry her through the hallway rather easily.

Naru was about to ease his way into her room when the sudden sound of a bump made him stop in his tracks. He stood in shock - completely immobile, hoping that the girl wouldn't wake up. Luck was with him - she didn't even stir. He continued his journey into the room and gently lied Mai down on the bed, pulling the covers over her. He then quickly proceeded to the leave the room. After closing the door, he gave a small sigh of relief. Hopefully her little run in with the wall wouldn't leave any mark on her head. But if it did... knowing Mai, she'd probably excuse it as an accident she had unknowingly caused. With that thought it mind, Naru went back to bed.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Special thanks to those of you who've reviewed so far! Cookies and milk to all of you (or whatever other sweets and things you might like). Really though, I think the feedback I've gotten is pretty good considering it's the first fanfic I've every written...So thank you!!!

Also, once again, I apologize for any spelling/grammar errors that may occur. I usually find them afterwards, but have serious issues with actually fixing them.

(Sorry for any OOC that might take place, too.)

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING.**

_Damn him... _Mai thought to herself as she climbed into the passengers seat. Of course if she really wanted to, she could have refused to get in the car with Naru. But how could she deny him? He had said _please_. Just a few minutes ago, back in the apartment, Mai was certain that Naru would either threaten her if she didn't comply, or possibly even drag her to the car himself. She never expected him to ask politely. It was a very rare thing to witness, and she knew it only meant that the narcissist was desperate. Mai decided it was for the best to just listen.

Lucky for her, Naru appeared to be a rather safe driver. "So are we just going to drive around until Lin or Madoka call?" she asked.

"We'll probably stop at a hotel at some point," Naru replied.

Mai stared out the window, watching light after light sweep past them. Under normal circumstances, they probably would have been allowed to stay at one of their other co-worker's places. In this case, however, that was impossible. They couldn't even return to the hospital because it might put Ayako and Bou-san in danger. Not just them, but a bunch of innocent people who worked there, too. "Wait, what if the symbol appears at the hotel or wherever?"

Naru had to think for a moment. Mai had only slept one night at his apartment before the symbol found her again. Did this mean that it would show up wherever they went? And if it did, how long could they stay at any given place before it manifested again? "We'll just have to see what happens."

"What are we going to do if it does? We're already breaking the law, we can't just go around vandalizing hotel rooms! What will we tell the people who work there?"

_Is she serious? That should be the least of her worries. _Naru glanced at Mai, who was clearly panicking. But she did have a point. It would be a bother if any outsider saw what was happening. Would they ignore it or end up calling the police? Either way, it was nothing Lin couldn't fix. "We'll tell them we're part of a secret society that practices devil worship or something."

"Naru, that's not funny! And are we even old enough to rent a hotel room here? I thought you needed to be an adult. What if we get pulled over-"

"Mai, calm down," Naru demanded. "I'll take care of it." Since when did Mai show such concern about abiding by the laws? Then again, maybe it was necessary considering that she herself was still a minor and living on her own. That, or this was just another way of coping with the real situation - she was running out of time. _...Living on her own... _Suddenly, Naru didn't like the idea of his assistant living by herself anymore. Before, he had always held a certain amount of respect for her - and though this was still true - the idea of Mai going each and every single day without a proper guardian... It displeased him very much. Even if the monk and the miko had somewhat filled out their parental roles, there wasn't much they would be able to do after the spell was dealt with, what with a baby on the way. Mai certainly wouldn't rely on them anymore. Naru had to stop himself from thinking anymore about the situation after realizing that he was acting like an over-protective parent. _...What's wrong with that?_ His one and only assistant, living alone in a large and extremely dangerous world. He had every right to feel protective of her, didn't he? _...I need tea._

As Naru tried to focus on driving, Mai began to fidget in her seat. The minutes were passing very slowly for her. At first she thought it would be okay - sitting there in the silence. But after three minutes had passed, she began to think differently. _Four minutes._ How often had she been stuck in a car with Naru and Lin before? It was just as quiet. _Five minutes._ True, she always had music with her in those cases. _Six minutes._ Surely she could take a little nap. _Seven minutes._ So what if she wasn't the least bit tired? What was the worst that could happen? What's a few nightmare's here and there... _Seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds_. Mai decided it was too much.

"I can't take this anymore!" she shouted. "I need noise! I'm putting some music on." As Mai reached for the radio, she notice a little cord dangling from underneath the power button. "....Lin has an... ipod connecter?" She was, for the most part, shocked.

Naru was also a bit confused upon hearing the girl's words. He had never seen it before, and as far as he knew, Lin never listened to music in the car. Did he install it just before he and Madoka went to the airport? Impossible. Lin wouldn't waste time with something like that. Mai reached for her bag and went through it. "I can plug in my ipod! This way I won't have to search through the radio trying to find a good song."

"Don't you have headphones?" Naru asked.

"Nope, I left them at home. I know - I'll put it on shuffle," she smiled cheerfully, settling back into her seat.

Naru was mostly worried that the music might be a distraction for him. However, if it kept Mai from bursting into more antics about the law and such, then who was he to deny her the right to listen to a few songs? But the instant the first song began playing, Naru had a sudden change of heart. ...Should he tell her to shut it off? Mai noticed how tense her boss had suddenly become.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"...They're not Japanese," Naru stated. He relaxed after a moment, trying to focus his eyes on the road. _Only for Mai..._

"And?"

"...Nothing." Naru recognized the music all too well. He had never heard the song before, but he knew the style well enough. It was a band that Gene had often listened to, to his annoyance. But did Mai know that? "You have strange taste in music."

"I do not!" the girl retorted.

"I didn't say it was bad. ...Anyway, what exactly is it that you like about them?"

"Hm?" Mai was slightly taken back. Were she and Naru actually having a normal conversation? About music, no less? Maybe it was a trick question. Or maybe Naru was actually just curious. Whichever it was, Mai decided to play along. "I can't really explain it. I just... find their music to be oddly romantic? Only in the same way I find ghost stories to be romantic. Weird, isn't it," she laughed. "It's a bit haunting and dark - but not in a bad way."

"Hm," was all Naru had to say.

Mai closed her eyes and let the music comfort her. Now that she thought about it, she actually felt a lot better than she had in days. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she felt this way... what was it? At any given moment, the first part of the spell could be complete - but this didn't seem to bother her. There was nothing in the world that would ruin the moment. Mai slowly opened her eyes and turned to look at her boss. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that she was left in his care. In reality, she didn't want to be with anyone else at a time like this. It was the truth. If she were to die right now... _It would be okay because I'm with him. _

Mai's body jolted forward suddenly before hitting the seat. She turned to look at Naru. "Why did you stop the c-"

Naru was completely frozen, his hands still tightly gripping around the steering wheel. _...It couldn't have been..._

"...Naru...?" Mai looked at the road ahead of them, but saw nothing. She turned to her boss again, who was still in shock._ I've seen that expression before. ...When... Gene..._

"Are you alright?" After a moment, Naru turned to look at Mai. He had recovered and now wore his mask again.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Um..." Mai noticed that Naru's eyes were no longer staring at hers, but at something outside of her window.

"...There's a hotel." Naru stated with a hint of confusion.

"M-maybe we should stop there?"

"Yeah..." Naru started up the car again and drove over to where the hotel was located, far off the side of the road. After pulling over, he took a deep breath and turned off the ignition. "Let's go."

_...As if I'm not nervous enough as it is,_ Mai thought to herself as she followed Naru into the building. She wondered if the rooms there were just as nice as the front area they had just walked into, which seemed pretty grand itself. _Is he gonna take this off my next paycheck? Maybe we should've driven around for a little longer. We haven't even left the city yet... Do we have to stay here? But then again... Whatever it was that Naru saw... I just can't ask him to get back in the car. I hope it's not too expensive here... _

"I-I'm sorry sir, that's a-all we have available right n-now." A young woman's voice broke through Mai's thoughts.

From what Mai could gather, the lady at the front desk seemed to be meeting the wrath of a certain narcissist. The mixed emotions that played on her face were very interesting though. On one hand, the women looked as if she wanted to back away into a corner and start crying, but on the other, she seemed to be very excited as her face kept getting redder by the second.

"...Fine," Naru sighed and handed over something that Mai couldn't see.

_Credit card? Identification maybe?_

"A-are you two related?" The woman asked as she led the the two to their room.

"No, not at all," Mai replied with a smile.

"Oh..." Saying no more, the lady continued to walk with them. When they reached the third floor, she pointed to a door at the end of the hall, giving a rather awkward smile and then quickly headed back downstairs.

Naru opened the door and went inside the room, Mai following suit. _...I guess it would've been too much to ask for two separate rooms, _she thought to herself. _Or could that be the reason Naru was getting mad at the..._

"...What...!?" Upon further inspection, Mai knew the answer. Though the room itself was very nice - it was larger than she expected, very clean, and had window that looked out into the lake on the other side of the road - it wouldn't do it all. "One bed...? A place this big and they only have single rooms available!?"

"You're welcome to sleep in the car if you'd like," Naru said as he slid off his coat, soon throwing it onto a nearby armchair and heading for the bed. "I admit, it'll be extremely fascinating should the symbol appear there. A car with the ability to take people to a completely different world..."

"But..!" Mai gave up and turned away before folding her arms. Then again, one night alone with the most beautiful narcissist in the world... Maybe it wouldn't be so bad? She turned to find Naru now lying on one side of the bed with his eyes closed and his arms resting languidly over the top of his head.

Mai slowly walked to the other side of the bed and sat at the very edge, staring out the window. "...Why did you stop the car like that?"

It was a minute before Naru answered. "I thought I saw someone, but I was wrong."

_Someone? _"Do you have any idea why you might've... thought that you had seen... that someone?"

"...Music, maybe..."

"Music?"

Naru sat up and paused before speaking again. "Mai, when was the last time you saw Gene?"

"Um...The last case..." Mai began fiddling with her fingers.

"I see..."

"Do you think something might be wrong with him or...?"

"It would make sense that he's been unable to make contact with you. But I haven't been able to communicate with him since our last case, either, so I figured the curse just had some kind of barrier that prevented him from speaking with any of us. But if what I saw earlier wasn't just in my head, then he might have found a way around the barrier."

"That's a good thing, isn't it? He can help us."

Naru looked at Mai for a second before lowering his eyes. "I would have thought so, too, only... something seemed off."

"Off? Like how?" Mai unconsciously began leaning towards Naru.

"...It wasn't Gene."

After a few minutes of silence, Mai suggested that they go to sleep, to which Naru agreed. Both being far too distracted and very much disturbed didn't bother changing into pajamas or anything. Luckily the bed was large enough so that Mai could easily take the side closer to the window without the fear of accidentally rolling onto her boss. She was, for the most part, a still sleeper. Though she did wish that she had her special pillow with her to cuddle into. What Naru had said truly frightened her - so much to the point that she didn't even really think about the fact that she was sharing a bed with the man she loved. More than anything, she just wanted to fall asleep. When morning came, there was a good chance that they'd hear from Lin and Madoka. Maybe they would have found a way to break the spell by then. _...Sleep, just fall asleep... _It wasn't long before Mai got her wish.

Unfortunately, when she opened her eyes it wasn't morning. It was a while before her senses kicked in - the feeling of the cold stone beneath her. _...No... _Once again, Mai found herself trapped in the same room she had been in the night before. An invisible force held her wrists and ankles and the smell of burnt wood and metal filled up her nose completely. _Well that's something new._ Mai also noticed another slight difference in this dream. For some reason, she was wearing a long and sleeveless white dress. _W-Why...? _Any other thoughts concerning her appearance were cut off by the familiar sound of metal digging into the ground. _He's coming... Wake up, Mai, please wake up... _She tried to move, aware that any attempt at escaping would be futile. The screeching noise continued to grow louder. _It'll be okay, I always wake up before he gets too close... Always. _The room began to dim, until it was pitch black. _Why aren't I waking up!?_ Tears started to fall from the girl's eyes. _He's so close... Just a few steps away, I can feel it now... _Even though she couldn't see anything, Mai closed her eyes. The sound ceased almost immediately. _Is it over? No... he's here._

Mai slowly opened her eyes and peered at the man standing above her. He was, of course, completely clad in black. His beautiful pale skin contrasted perfectly with his dark hair and deep blue eyes. At that moment, the girl could only think of one thing - _You're not Naru. _Mai watched in horror as the angel before her slowly raised a sword above his head using both his hands. He wasn't smiling, but it was easy to detect a slight trace of amusement in his eyes. Before he could strike her, Mai gave one final scream before blacking out.

**A/N: **Just in case anyone's curious, the song that was played in the car is none other than a song called (drum roll!!!) 'Precious' by Depeche Mode. The very first time I heard the song, I immediately thought of Naru and Mai. I honestly can't say why, it just happened. And that's how this fanfic came to be... That was a little over a year ago, though. Well, that's where the idea originated - chapter one was written along with a part of this chapter, but after that I decided to leave it alone as 'what could have been something special'. Until now. And though the song itself isn't actually written for... 'lovers' or whatever, it could kind of be seen that way.

Of course no one knows what kind of music Gene listened to, or whether he even listened to music at all - but I personally think he probably into a variety of things. Maybe.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Bring on the tiny bit of NaruxMai fluff!!! I was basically in Lala Land while writing this chapter, so sorry if it seems a little OOC, but at this point in the story, I would expect them to react in this manner. Also, originally this chapter was supposed to be a lot longer, but at the moment there didn't seem to be a proper place to cut it off, and I haven't updated in a while, so...

Once again, thanks to all you reviewers out there! I don't like singling anyone out - I truly do appreciate all of your responses - but to those of you who've been extra supportive (I think you know who you are) - an extra special thank you!!! I especially enjoy the random one or two reviews I get after I haven't updated in a while. It keeps me going :)

Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors, cheesiness, confusion, ect.

**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, I don't own.... yada yada yada....**

"Naru..." The first thing Mai saw when she came to was her boss down at her, though it took a minute before she could fully make him out. It was still the middle of the night.

"...You're Naru..." she mumbled again.

Maybe she would regret it later on, but at the moment it didn't really matter. Mai quickly sat up and lunged herself into Naru's arms, taking him by surprise. It wasn't so much for her own comfort that she did this, but for the proof that he was Naru - the only real Naru that there was. "...I was so scared..." she sobbed. "He looked just like you..."

Naru frowned a bit before wrapping his arms around her. When he had heard the girl crying in her sleep just minutes before, he tried to wake her but was unable to do so. All he could do was sit with her until she returned from her dream world. He sighed. _What to do... _He supposed there was really only one thing that he could do - or at least it was the only option he felt satisfied with. He slowly lied down on his side, bringing Mai with him. He then tucked her head beneath his chin and stared at the window, remaining completely silent. Mai had stopped sobbing, but a few tears continued to escape from her eyes here and there. She thought of nothing but ways to try and convince herself that Naru was really there and she was still alive.

Compared to her abnormally cold skin, Naru's body emitted a certain kind of warmth that Mai had never felt before. She took in his scent, trying to forget the stench from her dream. A sudden wave a nostalgia came over her. But from when? She couldn't recall any other time she had an experience like this, yet it seemed so familiar to her. Hadn't he held her like this before? _Of course not._ But the feeling... it wasn't new. There was only one way Mai could describe it - it was as if she was returning home after a very, very long day at work. She decided to focus her attention elsewhere. With the position they were in, she could barely make out pulse, one much slower than her own. She continued to focus on it until eventually she drifted off to sleep again.

The next time Mai opened her eyes, it was daytime. _It's so warm and cozy..._ After a second, her face turned a dark shade of red as she found herself in Naru's arms still. _Oh my... It's too bad I don't have my camera with me, though, _she thought to herself. She took the next few minutes to stare at the person who lay beside her. _He truly is beautiful..._ Mai had the urge to lift her fingers and gently stoke the boy's face, but knew something would probably go wrong. He would most likely wake up.

After an extremely difficult internal battle, Mai found the strength to quietly unravel herself from Naru's light grip. She tip-toed to the other side of the room and grabbed her bag from the floor. After taking one final look at the sleeping narcissist, she headed into the bathroom. The first thing Mai noticed was her reflection in the mirror - her face was a tomato. _What was I thinking holding onto him like that!? I guess I wasn't thinking, really..._ Though she had to admit, she felt extremely well-rested. In fact, it was the best sleep she had ever gotten as far as she could remember, minus the nightmare that came just before it. _Naru didn't even push me away... Actually, he did just the opposite, didn't he?_ Mai gripped the counter with her hands, desperately wanting to let out a scream. _B-but just because it ended up like... like 'that' d-doesn't necessarily mean that it was s-special or anything. He was probably half-asleep, anyway._ But even if he was half-asleep, Naru had taken a course that Mai would have never thought possible. She bit her lip, deciding that rather than screaming, a shower would be a much more effective way of calming herself down. She quickly undressed, fumbling all along the way. _Oh...! that's right._ Before stepping into the shower, Mai took a moment to look in the mirror again and survey her back. From what she could see, the black pattern had grown - now almost the entire upper half of her back was covered with complicated swirls. _It's so pretty... _

When Mai exited the bathroom, she found Naru awake and sitting on the bed. The expression he wore seemed rather desolate as he kept his eyes focused on the phone he held in between his hands.

"Are you alright?" he suddenly asked, looking up at Mai.

She found her face heating up again and immediately looked away. "Y-Yes."

"Good. We'll be heading to the office in a little while." Naru stood up and handed his phone to the girl before heading towards the bathroom. "Lin and Madoka are on their way back. You should call Bou-san and let him know you're alright," he finished.

"O-Okay..." Mai stared at the phone, somewhat confused. _Did he find something out? _The fact that Lin and Madoka were on their way back should have been a good thing. So then why didn't Naru look the least bit relieved? Mai slowly walked up to the window, dialing the monk's phone number along the way.

On the third ring, Takigawa answered. "Yo."

"Bou-san? It's me. How's Ayako?" Mai's gaze drew her to the the lake beyond the window, and then towards the road just before it.

"Mai-chan! Ayako's... well, she's Ayako. She's sleeping right now. Anyway, is everything alright?"

Mai unconsciously tightened her grip on the phone. _That area... It's where Naru stopped the car last night... Where he saw... _

"...Mai?" Bou-san's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Y-Yeah, everything's fine. Naru told me I should just let you know." _Something feels very wrong._

"He did?" The monk sounded a bit surprised. "Kinda odd for him, but I guess that makes sense. So, have you heard anything from the others?"

"Um, yeah. They're coming back, actually - Lin and Madoka. We're gonna meet up at the office." _On the surface it seems natural. But why exactly did Naru ask me to call Bou-san? Unless..._

"We'll it's about time. So this probably means that they found a way to save you, right?"

_...No. I don't know why, but.._. "Mm-hm, most likely," Mai continued cheerfully. "At least I hope so!" ..._I feel like this is beyond even them..._

"Of course - there's no way they would come back unless they had enough information to get rid of this thing," Bou-san stated.

"Right!" _Bou-san... I'm sorry. _"It'll all be over soon enough. I can feel it."

"That's the spirit! Oh, Ayako just woke up. Wanna say hi?"

"I should probably go now, we'll be leaving soon. Say hi to Ayako for me, 'kay?"

"Sure thing."

"And be sure to let her know that everything is going just fine," Mai finished.

"Will do. Hang in there, okay, Mai-chan?"

"Mm. Bye." Mai hung up and let her arm fall. _It's for the best that Bou-san and Ayako don't get involved, especially if things are only going to get worse. Besides, they have the baby to think about now. _Mai heard the door as Naru entered the room again.

"Well?" He asked, reaching for his coat he had left on the armchair.

Mai turned to face him. "...They think everything is gonna be okay," she said quietly.

"...Let's go then."

For once, Mai didn't seem to mind the fact that the drive back to SPR was, for the most part, quiet. Then again, she had too many things on her mind to be concerned about that.

"Naru... I'm sorry," she began. "About last n-"

"Don't," Naru cut her off. "It's fine."

Only someone who had spent a great deal of time studying the boy, like Mai, could see how troubled he still was.

"The mark on your back - has it changed?" he asked.

"Yeah, it grew. I'd say a little more and it's almost halfway done."

Naru said nothing else.

"...Hey, do you think that the person you saw last night and the person in my dream... Do you think they could be related somehow?" Though she would rather completely forget about the alternate Naru who had previously tried killing her, she had to ask. Chances were she would see him again at some point. This thought made her cringe.

"It's possible. But at this point, anything is possible. It's best not to jump to conclusions yet."

"Right."

Even though Mai protested, Naru demanded that she eat something before they got to the office. When they did arrive, it was just a few minutes before noon, and Madoka and Lin had yet to arrive. After entering the building, Naru headed strait into his office, while Mai made her way to the sofa. She was confused when Naru suddenly backtracked upon entering. He quickly shut the door and took a seat on one of the armchairs. "Mai. Tea."

"Okay...?" Mai left for the kitchen, figuring she would question her boss later. Not only was making tea for him a ritual she had grown accustomed to, but she was also very fond of it. As of now she was, at least. _Lin and Madoka will be here, soon. I should make extra. _It was only moments later when she heard the duo enter into the front office.

"Where's Mai?" She heard Madoka ask.

"Preparing tea." Naru's voice was barely audible. Whether Lin said anything at all was anyone's guess - if he did then Mai certainly couldn't hear it.

A few minutes later, Mai returned with tea for all of them. "Welcome back," she said as she set the tray down.

"Thank you, Mai," Madoka smiled. Mai could see it was somewhat strained.

"Thank you," Lin repeated quietly.

Naru simply nodded gently when Mai handed him his cup of tea.

The next few minutes were completely silent as the four sat drinking their tea. The only reason Mai didn't immediately start ask any questions was because it was obvious that the two adults were exhausted. Also, though she herself couldn't explain it, she already knew all the answers - for the most part, at least. "Maybe you two should get some rest," she suggested.

"Maybe later," Madoka laughed, taking another sip of her tea.

"Mai, do you think there's a time pattern the design on your back follows?" Lin asked abruptly.

"Time pattern?" Mai took a few moments to think about it. "No. As far as I know it seems to be pretty sporadic."

"So there's no telling when the first part of the spell will be complete," Lin said, setting the cup down. "And so far there are at least two portals we have to look out for..."

"Three," Naru stated, sipping his tea. "When we arrived, the symbol had already appeared in my office."

"What?" Both the females gasped as Lin quickly headed for the door that led to Naru's office. Once inside, he could see that on the wall opposite his boss's window was the same symbol that had previously showed up in both Naru and Mai's apartments.

"Why didn't you leave if you knew it was here?" Lin questioned the boy as he continued inspecting the wall.

"We had just arrived and I wanted to at least have some tea first," Naru answered. "Besides, wherever we go, it will follow. It already guessed our next move, therefore running is useless."

Lin exited the office and returned to his place on the sofa.

"...Anyway," Mai cleared her throat. "What exactly did you find out?"

"First of all, Mai," Madoka began. "Just know that we _are_ going to figure this out."

Mai simply smiled back. "It's alright, just tell me what you know."

**A/N:** Actually, the reason it took so long to update was because of that tiny lil' but of fluff. I kept going into fits of laughter thinking of all the things I could do to them and completely lost my focus. I pray that won't happen when I decide to actually make them a couple...


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: So my muse decided to ditch me and go on a vacation. I could not for the life of me write a proper sentence without my mind going blank halfway through it. Dear musey has returned though, and hopefully she'll (i think it's a she) stay long enough for me to finish the story. Anyway, better late than never, right?

Again, thank you reviewers!!! If this story has in any way caused you readers to be happy, sad, fearful, confused, giddy, or pissed off - even if just for a second, then my goal in life is almost complete.

Sorry for any grammar/spelling errors, confusion, or OOC-ness that might take place - I try though.

**Disclaimer: I'm wondering if I can get away with putting subliminal messages in these things without getting caught... No, I don't own.**

By the late afternoon, Lin had retired to his office, where he continued to search for any kind of connection to the spell that might be of help. Meanwhile, Madoka had decided to take some time to rest. She now lied on the sofa in the front office, appearing to be asleep. Naru could be seen walking back and forth between rooms, organizing and filing away previous cases they had taken. Mai sat on the sofa opposite Madoka with her arms wrapped around her knees, trying to process everything she had been told. She and Naru had learned that the two adults had spent most of their time trying to track down an old friend who was an expert in the art of magic.

_"At the present time, there is no way to cure the spell itself." _Lin's words played through Mai's mind over and over again. _"In order to fight black magic, it's necessary to know exactly what it is you're dealing with. The problem is that there are several variations of any given spell. This one in particular is very tricky because, from what we've been told, it seems to be a combination of multiple spells, with an added twist. The only person who would truly know what we're up against is the caster. Do you understand?" _Mai leaned her head back against the sofa and gave a small sigh. She had known beforehand what to expect, but that didn't make it anymore easy to hear. _"The design on your back, the entities you've seen in your dreams, and the symbol that appeared in your room - that's all from a single spell. The other dreams you've been having are another spell altogether - but are no doubt still connected somehow. What I don't understand is why these symbols are showing up in multiple places when it should have only shown up in one."_

_"Another thing..."_ Madoka had explained, _"We can't be exactly sure when, but sometime after the first part of the spell is complete... the one who cast it will die. Basically, it's a self-sacrificing spell. Every time the pattern on your back grows, the caster will continue to grow weaker and weaker, and by the time it's done..." _This news in particular had almost brought Mai to tears. Was there really someone who hated her so much that they would even go so far as to kill themselves just to make sure that she suffered?

When the four had finished exchanging stories, Lin and Madoka suggested that they do a background check on students, teachers, and clients that had previously made some kind of contact with Mai. After a few minutes of persuading, Mai managed to convince her co-workers that they shouldn't waste their time, stating that she got the distinct feeling they would never find their culprit that way. Naru was, to the her amazement, the first to agree. He reminded the other two that Mai's intuition had never proven them wrong before. At the girl's request, they agreed to take a short break, hoping that more clues would reveal themselves later on.

A few hours had passed, and no one had spoken since then. Naru hadn't even asked for tea again. Mai watched as he exited his office with an armful of papers - he never stayed in there for too long. _He probably just doesn't want to be around the symbol,_ she thought to herself.

"...Maybe Naru is connected to the spell," Madoka said suddenly. The narcissist froze in his place and looked at the woman for a brief moment before he returned to filing.

"W-Why would you say that?" Mai asked.

Madoka sat up slowly, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand. "The man in your dreams looks just like Naru, doesn't he? There could be a million explanations for that - but Naru," she turned to look at her former student, "you also thought you saw someone who looked like Gene, but wasn't."

"Also," Lin joined in, now leaning against the doorway to his office, "the other two symbols... It makes sense that the second one would show up at the apartment - Mai had slept there. But why has the other appeared in Naru's office?"

"It could just be a coincidence," Naru stated.

"Or not." Madoka stood up and stretched, letting out a small yawn. "I'm just saying... Why didn't it show up in the kitchen or even in here? If you think about it, it's where Mai spends more time. Actually, aren't the symbols supposed to pop up in places that are originally considered to be safe, like her bedroom? That's what makes the spell extra scary. I doubt she considers your office her safe haven. Anyway..." she gave another yawn, larger than the last, before sitting down again. "It just doesn't make sense."

"Black magic isn't supposed to make sense," Naru replied, shutting the file cabinet rather harshly.

The room became silent as everyone took the next few minutes to think to themselves.

"Hey," Mai began. "What exactly does someone need to do this kind of spell? I mean, they don't need any personal items of mine or anything, do they?"

Madoka looked at Lin for a moment. "He said that only a photo of the person was needed right?"

"Right, for part of the spell at least," Lin confirmed. "That, along with other traditional items and training in the actual field."

"Mai, are you sure you don't want us to look through other people's profiles? You never know what we could find," Madoka asked, somewhat desperately.

Mai stared intently at the coffee table and began playing with her fingers. "I'm positive. I know we won't find them that way. Besides, that's just too much to go through, isn't it? If all they needed was a picture of me, then it could be anyone and not necessarily just someone I've met before. Hey, for all we know it could even be John," Mai laughed. "...Eh?" When she looked up at her comrades, she found all of their faces were in some form of shock.

"As horrible as that sounds, it's not impossible," Lin stated.

Mai quickly stood up, unconsciously balling her fists. "What?!"

"Not just John, but Masako and Yasuhara as well. They've been gone for a while now and you haven't heard anything from them yet, have you Mai?" Madoka asked.

"I was just joking!" Mai said in disbelief. "You know that John is incapable of doing such a thing... And Yasuhara's grandfather just died, it's only natural that he doesn't want to talk to any of us."

"You can't explain Masako's disappearance, though. I know it's terrible, but you can't overlook the facts - they could all be suspects."

"Well in that case, you and Lin are at the top of the list seeing as you guys know a lot more about spells and stuff that anyone else!" Mai shouted, putting an end to their accusations. "I mean really, why don't you throw Ayako or Bou-san in there, too! After all, they haven't been around as much, either. Maybe Ayako's not pregnant, maybe she's the caster! That would explain why she's in the hospital, getting weaker every single time the damn pattern on my back grows!"

"Mai..." Madoka said somewhat guiltily.

"These people are my friends! _You_ guys are my friends! How can you honestly really consider them as..." Mai brought her hands to her face as she began crying.

Madoka put an arm around her shoulders and tried to comfort her. "We're sorry, Mai. You're right - Lin and I haven't gotten any sleep in a while. We should head home and rest." She looked up at the girl's boss. "Naru..."

He nodded in return. "...I'll take care of her."

About an hour after Lin and Madoka had left, the sun began to set. They had taken a cab, deciding it would be best to leave the car with the younger two. Naru knew that Lin would never under any circumstances leave Mai and himself alone at a time like this unless it was absolutely necessary. Most likely, Naru assumed, Lin and Madoka had actually left to find out if the other members of SPR had anything to do with the spell, contrary to Mai's beliefs. The thought itself was sickening, but Naru couldn't deny the fact that it wasn't impossible. _They're just being cautious_, he told himself. Not only that, but Madoka had just found out why Ayako was in the hospital - it was only natural to want to pay the miko a visit and congratulate her. Naru finished filing away the last few papers. _...Is that all?_ He stared at the empty space on top of the cabinet where a large mass of papers had previously been laid out on. _...It can't be. There's always work to do._ He turned around to find Mai on the sofa, sitting in the same position she had been in earlier that day. One word in particular stood out in his mind when looking at her. _Zombie... _He faced towards his office, trying to remember if he had forgotten something. Of course he hadn't - he never forgets anything. _...There's no more work to do..._ Naru continued standing there, somewhat confused. What did he usually do when he had finished everything? Had he ever actually finished everything before? _What now..._

"Naru," Mai said suddenly. "I'm bored."

"..." Still somewhat puzzled, her boss was unsure of how to reply at first. Then again, what exactly did she expect him to say? Mai must have known how he would have replied, had he said anything at all. Did she purposely say that hoping he would give some snide remark about her stupidity or something?

Mai looked up at him, making direct contact with his eyes. After a second, she gave a small smile, still waiting patiently for his answer. _What is she thinking? _the boy asked himself. He sighed and started walking away. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but-"

"Wrong!" she shouted.

Naru stopped and turned to face her again.

Mai stood up and folded her arms. "There's a pretty good chance that I won't make it. The others might deny it, but you won't. You can't, because you know it's the truth. It would go against your nature."

"..."

"So basically... If I do end up dying soon and you happen to disappoint me anytime before then, surely I won't forgive you."

Naru let out a kind of small forced laugh as he looked to the side. "Well then... I guess I had better keep my promise to Madoka and take care of you like I said I would." Whatever sudden mood switch Mai had made, Naru would do his best to play along with. She was right, after all - she could be taken away at any moment. Naru was probably the only one who would admit this, besides Lin. As strange as it sounded, Naru realized that he was probably the best person for her to be around at a time like this, as she didn't like living in denial. "Shall we eat now, then?"

Mai took a deep breath before replying, "I want to go home. Take me there." She quietly applauded herself. She hadn't even made the slightest flinch in reaction to the look Naru was now giving her. In fact, she stared straight back at him, keeping her eyes almost as intense as his. Never in a million years would Mai have put herself in this position, but if she was destined to spend an eternity suffering because of some stupid spell, she was hellbent on making the most of whatever time she had left. "And I'll make us dinner."

"...Alright."

The drive to Mai's place was, for the most part, peaceful. Naru didn't object when the girl hooked up her ipod to the car and began playing music. Instead he thought of reasons as to why his assistant wanted them to eat at her home, though of course he already knew. Mai was the type of person who would want to spend as much time as possible in the comfort of her home rather than travel the world in a short time span before facing death. For some reason though, Naru couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He knew it was ridiculous. She was his assistant, his friend even, but that was all. Besides, they had already been through a lot together, so why was he just now starting to feel uneasy? Hell, they had even slept together, in the technical sense. It just didn't make any sense. Unless his nervousness stemmed from a different place entirely. Maybe something bad was coming? He stopped his musings for a moment to hear the song Mai was now singing along with. A female singer with a somewhat classical orchestral background paired with a pop-style beat. _...At least it's Japanese... _

"Are you sure it's alright?" Naru asked. "You do realize that your place will probably be flooded with those hooded entities."

"...The more the merrier," Mai answered, quickly returning her attention to the song.

Naru sighed to himself as he pulled up in front of Mai's building, though now he was actually feeling quiet satisfied at the moment. He had not needed to ask Mai for any directions at all.

Mai seemed to realize this, too, because she gave him a (rather hard) pat on the back. "Amazing, this is only the second time you've been here, right? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but still... From what I remember, Lin drove last time didn't he? And you were pretty much sleep deprived, right? Ah well, let's go," she grinned.

Mai hummed to herself as she led the way to her apartment, Naru following silently behind. "Is there anything in particular you feel like eating?" she asked.

"Not really," her boss answered quietly.

"I guess that's better," she said pulling out her key. "I can really only make simple things. Anyway, make yourself at home..." She allowed Naru to enter before her. When she closed the door, she quickly took off her jacket and hung it on one of the kitchen chairs. "I'll make some tea first."

Naru swiftly removed his coat and sat on the larger of the two sofa's, setting the coat to his side. _What the hell am I doing...?_ Was he wrong to have said he would look out for the girl? But there was no one else to do it. He had an obligation to fill. Of course - so this could be considered work, too. With this in mind, Naru could relax. _Besides, it could prove to be entertaining._

By the time the tea was done, Mai had finished gathering everything she would need to cook dinner. She placed a few snacks on a tray alongside the tea and picked it up, ready to take it into the living room. But the moment her eyes wandered towards the window behind the sink her, she froze in place. _There's nothing there..._ She set the tray down and quickly shut the curtains around the small window. _But I could of sworn I saw... _Maireached for the tray again and proceeded to head into the living room.

"What's wrong?" Naru asked, taking notice of her pale face.

"...Huh? N-nothing," Mai replied, setting the tray on the coffee table. "...Excuse me." She quickly headed towards the bathroom. Once inside, she faced away from the mirror and lifted up her shirt. _...The pattern is exactly how it was this morning. No changes. _She gave a small sigh of relief and leaned over the counter. _I must've imagined it. _She turned the facet and began rinsing her face. After turning the water off, she stood up strait and reached for the towel to dry her hands, but once again, found herself unable to move. In the mirror, she could see a person standing to just her left. They wore a long light brown robe and it was impossible to tell whether it was male or female. _It doesn't have any eyes..._ Mai almost felt sorry for the creature. But what surprised her the most was that she didn't feel the least bit threatened. She was definitely more than a little creeped out, but it was nothing she wasn't already used to. Mai slowly turned to face the other being standing next to her, but her eyes could make out nothing. She looked at the mirror again. _It's gone... What does this mean, anyway? _Mai exited the bathroom and headed for the kitchen, where she immediately began making dinner.

"Here it is!" Mai smiled as she set a plate full of food in front of her boss. She then took a seat opposite him and began eating from her own plate. _I know I had been wanting this for a long time... _She peeked up at the man sitting before her._ But still... it feels a little awkward,_ Mai thought to herself. _That's just stupid! There's no reason to feel awkward. We've been through a lot worse. I mean, nothing should have been more awkward than last night... Though at the time, I was really out of it... _

"Having fun?" Naru interrupted Mai from her thoughts.

"N-No!" She exhaled before replying again. "Yes!"

Naru gave a small smile and continued eating. Very small - one that he would only give in Mai's company. For some reason he got the feeling that she was thinking about something he himself had been thinking about not too long ago.

Smiling to herself, Mai realized that it really wasn't as awkward as she thought it was. It wasn't until now that she saw just how well she and Naru knew one another. In fact it was almost scary how well they did. But what did you expect after spending how many hours almost every single day working for them?

Mai brought her fork to her mouth, ready to take another bite, but stopped after noticing slight silhouette reflected off the lower part of the metal object. Upon further inspection, she found the figure to be draped in a robe. _It's... cold. Too cold. _Mai slowly took a bite of her food, feeling somewhat confused, but mostly disturbed. _No need to start freaking out... It won't hurt me. _She couldn't continued sitting there, though, knowing that one of the creatures was right beside her. The temperature hadn't dropped when she noticed one of them earlier. So why now? She needed a distraction. Now. She needed warmth. She needed a hug. Naru had provided all these things for her before, had he not? _But... I can't just jump him while he's eating. Talk about awkward. What can I do to... _ "Dance with me." It was the first thing that came to her mind.

"....." Naru hesitated before taking another bite of his food.

"Let me guess - Naru doesn't dance," she finished in a deep voice before laughing. "No one would know, would they?"

Naru stared at her, slightly bemused and somewhat awed, before looking at his plate again. "Why?"

"...I'm trying to check things off my list of things to do before I die. Dancing the waltz with a guy is one of them. You're a guy. There's no one else to laugh at us. It's the perfect opportunity. Please?" As embarrassed as she was, she would never admit that it was just an excuse to be comforted.

"No."

"Hey, common, you could at least be nice! It's not like I'm blackmailing you or anything."

"Actually, you are. Using death as an excuse to dance with your boss-"

"Please... it's cold."

This time, Naru could clearly see the something was troubling Mai. _Of course._ When Mai was scared, she could run into the arms of Takigawa or Matsuzaki. But Naru, on the other hand, was off limits. It was an unspoken rule and would explain why Mai would suddenly come up with some lame excuse. Nevertheless, Naru was slightly put off by the fact that after everything they had gone through in the last few days, Mai still considered him off limits. Hadn't he done enough to prove it was alright? Then again, he _had_ just rejected her... But dancing and comforting were two completely different things. _Screw it._ Naru decided he would do whatever it took to rid the girl of whatever fears she had. He quietly stood, taking hold of Mai's arm and leading her into the largest open space in the living room.

"U-Um.... Music. T-there's no music," Mai mumbled.

"Don't need any." Naru had been forced to dance with his mother enough times to know how to do a perfect waltz by heart. Though what he and Mai right now wasn't exactly waltzing. They slowly swayed from side to side, neither paying attention to the steps they were taking.

As Mai's eyes began wandering around, she made out more than one figure reflecting off the TV, a picture frame, the clock, and a small mirror that hung on the wall. Finally she got sick of looking around and faced the ground, letting the top of her head brush against Naru's chest.

"You're starting to see them, aren't you?"

"...You know, it's strange... For some reason, they don't scare me as much as I thought they would. Actually, I must be going crazy... because I sort of get the feeling that they don't want to hurt me."

"Ma-" Naru was cut off when the lights suddenly shut off.

"Huh? Is it a power outage?" Mai lifted her head and looked around.

Naru reached into his pocket for his phone, keeping one arm around Mai. "If so, then my phone should be fine... The pattern on your back isn't complete yet, is it?"

"No, it shouldn't be..." _What...? _Mai noticed a small light from outside the window. "Naru..." She motioned her head towards it. Hundreds of small orbs were floating outside of the apartment. "Is this a dream?" she asked.

"If it is, then..." Naru paused, looking down at Mai for a moment before taking hold of her hand. "Whatever you do, don't let go."

As they got closer to the window they were able to make out more orbs

Mai looked at the array of colors before her, somewhat mesmerized, as a sense of deja vu washed over her. Up until now, it was always her and Gene that were in these situations. "There are so many... Do you think they could be the spirits of those things I've been seeing?"

"Probably," Naru replied. "Hm..." He led her away from the window and towards her bedroom. Before he reached for the door, he looked at Mai, almost as if to get her consent. After she nodded in return, Naru placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it. The instant he opened it, everything faded into white.


	9. Chapter 9

-A/N: I haven't updated this story in about... 6 months or so? Truth is, my muse had completely died out and I found myself not liking where the story was going. But I'm determined to finish it, even if I have to force myself to keep writing! So I really hope the fans of this story haven't forgotten about it - it's because of all the wonderful reviews that I've gotten that I'm still keeping it going :)

I apologize in advance for any grammar/spelling errors or OOC-ness that you may come across. (I haven't written anything in ages, so I'm quite certain my skills haven't improved. Lets just hope they haven't gotten any worse.)

(um... this takes places directly after chapter 8 so...)

**Disclaimer: I don't own, yada yada yada...**

Naru and Mai found themselves walking through what seemed to be a large hallway. It was much too bright for either of them to make out any details, though.

"Where are we?" Mai asked, lifting her free hand to shield her eyes.

"I think I've been here before..."

"Hm?" The girl looked towards her boss, easily able to make out the small hint of confusion that shown on his face.

"...There..." Naru motioned his head towards the door at the end of the hallway. As the two got closer, they could see that it was slightly open.

Upon entering the room, Mai felt a strong breeze rush past her. She looked up at Naru again, who now appeared to be in a state of shock.

"What..." In an instant, she found the source of his concern. The pair were now in a bedroom, and though it wasn't as bright as it was just a moment ago, it was still very hard to make things out clearly. What they _could_ see, though, was a young man sitting on a bed. His black outfit easily stood out, compared to the rest of the room which was mostly white.

_Gene._

_"I'm sorry." _Mai noticed that he was speaking to a fourth person in the room. Whoever it was, they sat in an armchair that faced out the window, turned away from everyone else. The only visible part of their body was a hand that hung over the side. Though she couldn't be sure, Mai noticed that it seemed more feminine than manly.

_"Everything... It's probably all my fault," _Gene stated quietly.

Everything faded to white again, and soon Naru and Mai found themselves in a completely different area.

_I think I can hear the ocean... _Within moments, everything became a lot more clearer. "The beach?" Mai stared curiously at the scene before her.

The place was completely deserted except for two children who sat side by side a couple yards away. A girl and a boy who appeared to be the same age. Mai couldn't help but smile to herself, noticing that the children's appearances were somewhat similar to both Naru and herself. It was almost as if they were seeing younger versions of themselves.

"But who are these kids?" Mai questioned.

Naru remained silent, taking only a couple steps forward. He stopped as soon as he heard the younger girl speak.

"...But what's going to happen to us...?"

"I'd be more worried about Dad at the moment," the boy replied nonchalantly.

"You're probably right," the girl laughed quietly. "I feel bad for him. Almost as bad as I feel for that woman."

Before anything else could be heard, the two children suddenly began to fade away. Soon after, the rest of the surroundings also began to disperse until the area was almost entirely black. Mai found herself cursing inwardly. _Not again... Who were those two? _When she looked up, she realized was standing in an all too familiar room. Feeling a chill creep up her spine, Mai crossed her arms in attempt to keep warm. "Naru, this is the place," she spoke. "This is where I..." All previous thoughts were completely wiped from her mind when she placed her eyes on those of the man now standing beside her. "You're not Naru."

The look-a-like smiled down at her. "...Aren't I?" he asked, bringing his hand to her face. As his fingers grazed over her skin, leaving a cold trail in their place, Mai felt a loathing replace the fear she had felt just a second ago. But more than anything, there was a deep sadness that came from being touched somewhat affectionately by the monster before her.

"Mai... Mai!"

She blinked and found herself staring into the eyes of Naru.

"What happened?" he asked.

It took a moment before she could answer him. "I-I saw that guy again..." Mai lowered her head and began rubbing her eyes, waiting for them adjust to the lighting. "Are we back in our own world now?" She looked around, relieved to see they now stood in her living room.

"It would appear so."

"...So what does it all mean? I'm so confused..." Mai backed away, realizing that she and Naru were in the same position they had been in just before the lights had shut off. "And Gene... Why did he..." Raising a hand to her forehead, she tried to focus her view of the living room. _Do I have a fever or something? Why is everything spinning suddenly?_ She turned to look at Naru who had wandered over towards the window. "You said you recognized that place, right?" Mai asked.

"Yes," he replied after a moment. "I'm certain I was there at some point when I was younger. But I've no idea what that could possibly have to do with you. And I didn't feel any kind of significance coming from that place, but it's obvious that Gene was trying to tell us something."

"So when he said everything was probably his fault... that was for us to hear?"

"Probably." Naru tried to focused his attention on whatever lied beyond the window, when he was suddenly hit by a slight feeling of deja vu. Hadn't he stood in this same position the night this all began? Even now, his eyes could make out nothing from outside. It was still too dark. _...What we saw... was it a memory, or...? Then there were those children. _Sighing to himself, Naru let his head rest lightly against the window pane. _Gene ...Why did you apologize?_

After a moment of not thinking at all, he turned to Mai, who now looked as if she was about to pass out. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing. I just feel a little dizzy, that's all."

Naru immediately reached for his coat. "You should sit down."

Mai slowly headed for the sofa. She was no longer feeling dizzy, but weak. When she had made it to the coffee table, she suddenly kneeled down and let out a small cry of pain. Naru was by her side in an instant. It was only moments before she realized that he held a phone in his hand. As soon as he began dialing, she snatched it away from him.

"Leave the others out of it," she said hastily. "They need their rest." _If these are just the normal symptoms of someone cursed by black magic, then it should pass..._

"Mai..." Naru stared at her in disbelief. Did he really need to explain that Lin and Madoka were grown adults? That, as she very well knew, they were used to this kind of thing? Certainly Mai knew that they could do more for her than he could. And surely she must have known that if anything serious happened, they would be pissed beyond reason, Madoka especially, that he hadn't called.

"Please..." she continued, trying to ignore the bolts of pain that quickly spread throughout her entire body. "I'll be alright for now. I know it."

Naru looked at her carefully before reconsidering. "...Fine. Lie down," he ordered, taking his phone back. He simply couldn't argue with her anymore.

Mai did as she was told. A small feeling of relief clouded her thoughts as her head hit the cushion of the sofa. Meanwhile, Naru searched the area for something that could be of use. He found the same black fuzzy blanket that he had previously woken up in just two or so days ago. He unfolded it with ease before dropping it over Mai's form.

"Thank you," Mai smiled cheerfully. "Oh... Are you going to go home?"

Naru honestly couldn't tell if she was faking it or not. Was she trying to get rid of him? It was hard to read her nowadays. "...Idiot," he said softly.

Mai frowned back at him. "...So mean." She watched as her boss placed himself on the floor between the sofa and the coffee table. _He must be really tired_, she thought to herself when Naru leaned his head back and let it rest against her legs. Closing her eyes, Mai tried not to focus on the sharp throbbing within her and instead allowed her mind to be overthrown with thoughts of her favorite narcissist. Perhaps it was completely irrational, she thought, to be even the tiniest bit grateful towards the spell that had been cast on her. But even if it was killing her, it had also brought her a little bit closer to the man she loved. _Honestly, when did I become such a romantic? _she grumbled inwardly. _I guess it can't be helped though..._

Mai wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed after that before another question formed in her mind.

"Say, Naru..." she began, breaking the silence. _Is he still awake?_

"...Hm."

_Maybe I shouldn't ask... Ah well._ "I was just thinking... You know how to waltz."

Naru slowly opened his eyes. _What's she getting at?_

"And I just can't imagine you trying to learn something like that on your own," she continued. "So how...?"

"My mother," he was quick to reply. That was really all Mai needed to know. At least, it was all Naru was willing to share.

Mai tried picturing in her mind Luella trying to teach a young Naru the waltz. Though she had a little trouble trying to remember what the woman looked like, she had still painted a rather entertaining image in her head. _Of course he would have been throwing frowns the entire time. On the other hand, Gene was probably... _Before Mai could form a picture, she felt another burst of pain spread throughout her side. _It'll pass soon... Besides, I've felt worse. I think._ Slightly cringing, she returned to her previous thoughts, hoping it would distract her. Images of a very agreeable and somewhat ecstatic Gene doing the waltz flooded her mind. She began laughing out loud.

Naru leaned his head forward, surprised. It was a sound that he hadn't heard for a while now. He realized... he missed it. Turning his head, he hoped that this meant she was now feeling better. What he saw was completely different from what he had expected. Though Mai was smiling brightly - at nothing in particular, he could see tears streaming down her face. A mixture of emotions played out on the girl's face. He found it extremely difficult just to look at her.

"It hurts," Naru stated.

"It's fine. I'm in my happy place right now, don't interrupt me."

Naru took a step back and stared at the stubborn girl before him.

"Hey... how strong do you think I am?" Mai asked suddenly.

"...That depends."

"Do you think I might be able to fight this?"

Could he really give her his honest opinion? Yes, the girl certainly was full of surprises. She had proven herself on several different occasions. But this situation was completely different from any other case they had been challenged with. Naru knew well enough that the odds of Mai being able to survive a practically unstoppable spell set on killing her were fairly low, and he was the type of man who went by logic, not by faith. _So... Probably not?_ No. That was unacceptable. _Dammit._ There had to be a way to fight it. _Then again, even if the odds are against us... those kinds of rules don't necessarily apply to magic. She knows better than anyone what her chances of living are. That's not what she's asking me_.

"Naru?" Mai gazed curiously at her boss. She was no longer crying.

"Yes," he answered after a moment. He believed it, too. After all, Mai had powers SPR had yet to see.

Mai smiled contently at hearing his reply. "I think so, too."

"..."

Before the girl could say anymore, she found herself drifting off to sleep._ It has been a very long day... hasn't it...? _

When Mai opened her eyes again it was still nighttime, only the lights were off. She slowly sat up and looked around. "Naru?" Through the darkness, her eyes were slowly able to make out his form. He sat in an upright position on the smaller sofa to her right with his head leaning to the side. _He must be asleep..._ Mai stood up and stretched, letting out a silent yawn. _What time is it, anyway?_ she wondered, walking towards the large window opposite of where Naru slept.

_It's really cold._ Mai peeked outside, giving one more small yawn. _It's so dark out there. It wasn't always like this, was it?_ The only thing she could make out was her own reflection. _I look so tired and -_ Her thoughts wavered when she noticed another figure standing beside her. "How long have you been there, Naru?"

"Not long," he replied quietly.

Mai returned her attention to the glass in front of her. She looked carefully into her reflection, confused. _....Why?_ Fear was written all over her face.

"What's wrong, Mai?"

"What do you-"

Before she had time to turn around, Mai was silenced by the rather disturbing sound of something cutting through flesh. In a matter of seconds, she began to feel pain spread throughout her lower region, much worse than any of the sharp pains she had felt earlier that day. She slowly raised a hand to her stomach and let her fingers brush over the object that had pierced through her. Any coherent thoughts Mai had at that point slipped away.

**A/N: **This was definitely a lot shorter than I had originally planned it to be...

On another note: Last time I updated I had about 80-90 reviews or something, but now it's over 100!!! Lets have a ~Cyber Celebration!~


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Sincerest apologies to those who have been waiting forever for an update. The long wait was inevitable though. But now I think it's time to move on to the final phases of this story. Special thanks to the readers and reviewers alike. I admit reviews make me super happy, but if you took the time to read it then that's more than enough.

I apologize in advance for any spelling/grammar, OOC-ness, cheesiness, or confusion that may occur. I try but, but humans will make mistakes.

**Disclaimer: I ain't own a thing...**

Darkness was all that surrounded Naru when he opened his eyes. After a few moments, the objects and furniture in Mai's living room began to take shape, though things still seemed quite hazy. _Mai..._ She had fallen asleep almost immediately after their conversation, and Naru had taken to the other sofa to get some rest as well. _What time is it?_

"Are you enjoying it? What precious little time you have left together?"

Though he still found it difficult to see clearly, Naru was now completely alert and entirely aware that this was a dream. One of _those_ dreams. He turned around to face the large window behind the sofa where he sat, and found that he hadn't been mistaken about the voice - it was his own. Naru saw the other figure, an exact replica of himself, staring out into the distance. Obviously seeing things that he himself could not.

"Though I'm still quite amazed that you managed to block me from your mind. I suppose, in your case, it's easier and probably better to just forget the all dreams you've had to endure during the night," he continued.

"What are you?" Naru demanded. Even in the dream world, he had no patience for pointless chit chat.

"..._What _am I?" The figure turned around after a moment to face him. "I am you."

It was beyond confusing - the fact that the man going around killing Mai in her dreams just so happened to be himself - or someone else who just looked exactly like him. Was he the same being Naru was speaking to right now? The same being that he had seen the day before in the car? But there was just no way he and this monster could possibly be the same. "You hurt Mai."

"Yes. We hurt Mai."

Naru found himself clenching his hands. Whatever sick and twisted joke this guy was trying to play, it wasn't funny. "Wh-"

"This is not a choice we have. The things we feel... It's inescapable. If you will not accept the truth, then at least know this: the only way we can save her is by continuing on this current path. She knows this. Whatever she decides, let her be."

Before Naru could respond, he felt himself slipping away as though he were on the brink of falling into a deep slumber again, and within seconds everything around him was returned to it's original state of darkness, he along with it.

When he woke again, the light of day seemed far too bright for his eyes. He took in a deep breath, trying to make sense of what he had been told during his little visit. Obviously it must have been of extreme importance, but that would mean that he himself was in fact part of the spell that had been cast on Mai. A critical part. He turned his head to look at the girl, who still appeared to be sleeping in the same exact position she had been in the night before. And just as it had been last night, tears were making there way across her face. _Is she awake or... dreaming?_

"Mai..." Naru was slightly surprised by the coarse tone his voice had made. _Dammit._ The dream had completely messed with his mind. _All those nightmares she had to endure..._ All because of him. _But he and I aren't the same._ Even as he settled on that fact, it didn't relieve him of the new found guilt he had. He called out his assistant's name again, as he normally would when they were at work.

"...hm?"

Upon hearing Naru's voice, Mai slowly opened her eyes, taking in every minute of morning. Relief immediately washed over her as she felt for the softness of the sofa beneath her with her hands, and then to the beloved blanket that draped her form. She let out a heavy sigh, wiping away the smudges of water on her face that had yet to dry up.

"What happened," Naru asked quietly.

Mai turned around to look at her boss who sat on the smaller sofa to her right. The window behind him caused an impressive light show that contrasted beautifully around his dark form, probably augmented by what teardrops remained that she hadn't shed. Everything seemed to be gleaming. Entirely different from the scene she had just witnessed with the 'other' Naru. Mai began rubbing her eyes and let out a small yawn. She could no longer recall the pain she had experienced from the force of being stabbed. _So it was just another dream then... Thank goodness._

"The window..." she answered softly. "I woke up sometime in the middle of the night and went to look out the window while you were asleep. I do that sometimes... But then you walked up to me - well, at least I thought it was you at first, but... And then he..." Mai placed her hand in the area of where she had been stabbed. "But it was only a dream," she concluded gently, her eyes closing in relief before taking a peek at Naru. She could now see everything clearly, him included - every detail and line that shaped his frowning face. She gave another sigh before throwing her blanket to the side. "You shouldn't be making a face like that! I'll make you some tea."

"You don't have to keep waiting on me," Naru spoke before she could reach the kitchen. "Until further notice, I'm relieving you of your assistant duties."

"Eh!" Mai had no problem seeing that something else was on his mind. Something that must have been troubling him to the extreme. "Alright then, if you say so. I'll just make you some tea - out of common courtesy, you know." She continued on her way. Naru simply stared at her before looking down again.

"If you really feel the need too..."

"I do!" Mai replied instantly. "I take great pride in making and serving tea! No one does it better than me," she smiled confidently, all thoughts of the previous night now completely wiped from her mind.

"...True," Naru agreed. "Of the few good qualities you do have, tea is probably at the top of the list."

"Right! But wait... what do you mean by 'few'?"

Naru stood from his position. "Go ahead then."

"Hey, Don't walk away!"

"I'm going to use your restroom, or is that not allowed?" Naru looked back at the girl with just a hint of a smirk.

"F-Fine." As Mai headed back into the kitchen she heard Naru's phone ring, to which he answered immediately. It was only seconds later before he hung up after barely saying two words.

"Mai, forget the tea," he called. "You can make some when we get to the building. John is waiting for us."

"John!"

The first thing Mai saw upon entering the SPR building was Madoka and John sitting across one another on the sofas. It had been a while since she had last seen the priest and almost had to fight the urge to pull him into a bear hug. She instead settled with calling out his name and smiling as brightly as she could.

"Mai, tea." Naru ordered, heading straight for Lin's office.

"Wait, what happened to me being relieved of my duties!" she exclaimed.

"It's common courtesy to prepare tea for guests, is it not?" Naru replied softly, before continuing on his way.

"...Fine." _He looks really bad... _Mai turned to her co-workers and smiled. "I'll be back in a second then."

"Ah... Thank you," John said graciously.

Madoka stood up with a slightly confused expression. "Let me join you." Leading Mai into the kitchen area, she called back to John, "We'll only be a short while, dear." He nodded in return.

As Mai began boiling some water, Madoka stood off to the side and remained quiet. "Of course Lin-san would like some, too, right?" Mai asked.

"...Yes."

Already feeling awkward at the way the woman was looking at her, Mai suddenly became suspicious. "Is everything alright?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Madoka began gathering the cups and trays needed. "I'm assuming you and Naru are getting along well. At least, neither of you have lost it yet."

Mai started searching throughout the kitchen for some kind of treat to go alongside the tea. "Is that how it seems?"

"Well, you've spent three nights alone with him and you don't seem to be complaining. I at least hope he's been a gentleman?"

"Aha!" Finding something suitable, Mai returned to check on the tea. "He's been... Naru. I don't know, everything has just been... strange." Madoka accepted the snacks Mai handed to her and began arranging them neatly on the trays, waiting to see if the girl would continue. She did. "I've always wished that there would be a case or something that would force us to become a little closer. Now that it's happening, it feels mostly like a dream. But... I think... no matter how much time we spend together, it won't really make any difference. In our relationship, I mean. ...All the time I've stayed working here, hoping all along that he would see me... Oh, the tea is done."

"...And?"

It was a moment before Mai answered. "Even with all that hoping, I could never really see us together. It's hard to imagine Naru with anyone, really, let alone myself. It would take a miracle."

"But you do know... there are things he does that are only for you. He relies on you even, a great deal. I, his parents, and Lin as well... we were all worried. Gene was the only person he would ever confide in. After the accident... there was no one. To distance oneself from others and live a life of solitude... it just... it shouldn't be. But no one could do anything." Madoka took three cups of tea that Mai had poured and placed them onto the first tray. "Mai, because of you he's gradually been turning a little more... human."

Mai set the last two cups on the second tray. "...That's my gift, isn't it?" she said quietly. "As his special assistant, it's all I can do."

"...Mai...?" Madoka's expression changed back into the confused state it had been in just a few minutes ago.

"Alright, everything is all ready and set!"

Grabbing the first tray, Madoka started to head out first. "I'm going to join the other two. You should talk to John."

"Okay. ...Does he knows about everything?"

"Yes. And also... Well, up until now, you've been very good about the whole thing, but..."

"I understand, Madoka. Thank you."

Madoka smiled in return. "Oh by the way, when your done I'll be borrowing you for the rest of the afternoon. We haven't had a chance to go out yet." She walked away.

Mai slowly reached for the second tray, feeling a sudden nervousness begin to spread throughout her, almost keeping her from wanting to enter the other room. _How silly! It's only John_, she reminded herself. _What am I so afraid of?_ But she knew exactly what it was. Like Madoka had said, she had done such a good job at telling herself everything was alright. When she was with Naru, she didn't even have to pretend - minus a few exceptions. But, for whatever reason, she knew that speaking with John might force her to face reality. Not that he would force her to talk, of course, being the gentle soul that he was.

Taking a deep breath, Mai lifted the tray and headed into the front area.

"Sorry for the wait," she laughed, setting the tray on the coffee table before taking a seat across the priest.

"It's fine. Thank you," John smiled, taking a sip of his tea.

"So... How have you been? _Where_ have you been?"

"I went back to Australia. My family was having some trouble with their new house and wanted my help."

"Like... normal trouble or... _haunted_?" It was a word Mai hadn't spoken in a while, one that she almost missed, even.

"They thought it was haunted, but in the end the place turned out to be perfectly fine."

"Well that's good. You got to visit your family, then."

"Yes, it was very fun." John looked down for a moment, his smile turning a little sad. "So what about you, Taniyama-san? Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." Mai smiled, immediately taking note of the priest's melancholy expression. "So they _did_ tell you everything."

"I hope that's alright?"

"Of course, I don't mind."

"Well... I'm sure Shibuya-san and the others - and yourself as well - are all puzzling over everything that's been happening, but... I've been curious about a few things myself..."

Mai paused before taking another sip of her tea. "...Yes?"

"A-And... as I'm sure you already know, magic is never what it really seems. It's important to look at all the signs. All of them."

"Uh-huh..."

"Taniyama-san, have you thought about why it's Shibuya-san that ends up killing you in your dreams and not someone else?"

"...Actually, I haven't," Mai smiled somewhat sheepishly. That was probably one of the main subjects she tried to avoid for the past couple of days. But she was going to have to face up to it sooner or later. "But now that I think about it... I guess it seems the most natural? I mean, you know that I... a-about Naru..." she felt her face go red and hoped that her friend wouldn't notice it. Of course he did, and when Mai looked up at him she saw his own cheeks were slightly flushed. At least it was news to someone. Unless of course, he had already noticed she had been crushing on her boss since forever and was simply feeling a little embarrassed. "I mean..." she continued, "I guess what with all the scary things we've had to deal with, my mind has become a little twisted. Maybe on a subconscious level or something, I would... rather it be Naru who kills me." She laughed. "I know it's horrible, but that's the most logical reason I can come up with. But the thing is, it's not actually Naru who's killing me. It's just some look-a-like monster, which makes everything a million times worse. I suppose that's what black magic is all about, though."

"Mm..." The priest had stopped with his awkward smile and was now gazing pensively at the coffee table. His eyes held a look of deep concentration, one which Mai had never seen on the young man before. He seemed older somehow, and her intuition immediately took over,

"John," she began, setting her cup of tea down. "You've seen something like this happen before, haven't you?"

His answer came quietly. "Back when I was still in training, there was a woman who would come by the church. Here name was Lena. She was married and very happy. But one day she started talking about dreams she would have of being watched by these other beings. She would say that they didn't have any eyes. Not long after that, her dead body was found in another man's apartment. He, too, was dead. There was never any cause of death - no signs of violence, struggle, or drug use could be found. It was later discovered that the two had been best friends growing up, but grew distant after she had married."

Mai leaned back against the sofa. "Did they know it was a spell?" _Had that woman dreamt of that man? Did she cause his death?_

"I honestly can't say," John replied. "But about a week later, another woman stopped by, claiming that she was the one who killed them, but she had only meant to kill one."

"She confessed just like that!"

"She said she had failed and was going to die soon, so it didn't matter what happened to her." The priest paused a minute before looking up. "...It wasn't Lena who had been cursed. The woman said she had cast the spell on the man."

"...What?" Mai watched as John began drinking his tea again, apparently finished with his story. "Did she say anything else?"

"No. She passed away that night."

"...But she believed she was the cause of not only the man's death, but Lena's as well, right? That the spell on the man had caused it?"

"Yes."

Mai let out a heavy sigh and laid her head back. "...This whole thing is so confusing."

"Taniyama-san..." John said, pulling the cup away from his mouth. "I don't believe it was the same type of black magic spell that has been cast on you. But there are a few similarities, what with the eyeless beings. It's unfortunate that we will never know all the important details that happened back then - the things that Lena saw the days before she passed away. If we did, I feel... we might be able to compare and gain some kind of new understanding. If the woman who pleaded guilty was in fact telling the truth, that she had only meant to cause harm to the one man, then it's assumed that he and Lena were somehow connected, and judging by the circumstances of their deaths, I'd say they were well aware of that."

"Wait a minute..." Mai took another moment to think over everything. "So you think... Naru is involved?"

"W-Well, he is the one who shows up in your dreams. We should also take into account that two of the portals have somehow shown up in his own space. True enough, one of which was in the room you stayed in, but for the other to show up in his office... um... Taniyama-san?" John looked up worriedly at Mai, who now looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"I... All this time... It never occurred to me. Madoka even mentioned it the other day, but I completely ignored it. Because of me, Naru is in danger... I'm so stupid!"

"Taniyama-san..."

"If anything happens to him, it will be my fault." Mai was unaware of the trailing tears that continued to fall down her face. The only coherent thoughts in her mind were, '_What's wrong with me?_'

John set his cup down again, which was now empty. "That's not exactly true, though... There's still no way of knowing for sure that he's in danger, so it's best to keep our hopes up for now. For you as well. There's still time to find a cure. And also... I'm sure Shibuya-san was perfectly aware of what he was getting himself into. The others, too. This is their job, you see..." John smiled. "And we all want to be there for one another."

"But..."

"If it were Shibuya-san who was cursed, would you still want to stay by his side knowing that it might endanger your life?"

"Of course, I... Oh." Mai looked down, her crying coming to a sudden halt. _I would try to stay with him to the very end, regardless of what he might say. Nothing could stop me._ She gave one last sniffle and wiped her face. "You're right. I should focus more on how to put an end to all of this, then," she smiled. "Thank you, John. You've been very helpful!"

The priest stuttered for a moment, "W-Well, I don't know if I've actually helped any, but your welcome..."

The two suddenly heard male voices talking as Madoka exited Lin's office. "Ah... Have you two finished?" she asked, noting the warm smile Mai now had.

"You're timing is perfect, Mori-san." John said cheerfully.

"Excellent! Well then, Mai... Let's go out for some lunch and have a little one-on-one girl time. John, perhaps you could work your magic on Naru?" She turned around to look at the young man who had just emerged from the office behind her, and then went to pick up her coat, her purse, and a bag.

"Um..." Mai looked at her boss for a moment, who looked just as bad as he had before, if not worse. _Is it really okay to leave him like this? Though I'm sure some time away from me would do him good._ Naru looked back at her and nodded in reassurance, knowing that his assistant was asking for permission. Mai leapt off the sofa and grabbed her things, thanking John one more time before saying farewell to the three men and taking off with Madoka.

"I have a little gift for you," the woman sang as they exited the building. "I got it for you a while back but there hasn't really been a chance to give it to you."

"Madoka, you didn't have to do that!" Mai whined, though she was still very excited.

"Don't worry about it. When I saw it something just took over me and I had to get it for you. Think of it as an early birthday present in token of the wonderful woman you're becoming."

"Madoka... You're just too much!" Once again, tears formed in the girl's eyes, only this time for a very different reason.

By the time Mai and Madoka had returned to SPR, the sun had almost fully set. John had left, Lin was still researching, and Naru had somehow got a hold of more papers to file.

The older woman was the first to speak upon entering the building. "Did you guys find anything new?" she asked, taking off her coat.

"Not really," was all Naru said.

"Um... Is Lin-san still trying to look for...?" Mai listened closely to the constant tapping sounds coming from the other room, followed by a few mouse clicks. "Maybe you could... get him to stop for tonight. I would really feel a lot better if everyone just took a break."

"...Alright. It probably won't be easy, but I'll get him to take the rest of the night off," Madoka agreed softly.

"Madoka," Mai called before the woman left the room. "Thank you. I had a lot of fun."

"Then we'll have to do it again sometime soon." Madoka smiled back warmly, though her eyes didn't quite match up. "Ayako can join us. Masako, too - so long as it's not a problem for you both."

Mai nodded in return as she watched her friend enter Lin's office. When the tapping sounds faded, Mai took a seat on one of the sofas, pulling the bag with the gift Madoka had given her close to her chest. The overall vibe of the room had changed since that morning. She watched as Naru entered with a small amount of papers in his arms, and for a moment their eyes were locked onto one another's. In that moment, they both knew that something had changed. Whatever had transpired during Mai's time with Madoka, and Naru's time with John, they had both come to some realization. Whatever it was, neither of them was willing to share.

Dropping her head, Mai tightened her grip around the bag.

"Naru, are you going home?" she asked minutes later when he had finished filing everything he could.

His reply came swiftly. "If you're ready to head back. Where are we staying tonight?"

Mai couldn't help but smile, wondering if Naru himself actually realized how natural those words came. In such a short time span, the two had grown used to sticking together. But that would have to come to an end sooner or later.

"Actually, there's someplace I'd like to go. Would you take me there please?"

**A/N:** I know that this and the last chapter may seem ultra-fillerish to some of you, but I do think they're necessary. Fluff will come eventually :)

I also realize that the story may be getting really confusing for some of you (at least I know it's getting really confusing for me), but hopefully it'll come to make more sense later on.


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